Just prior to Thanksgiving a few years ago, a Worthington middle school teacher asked their class to answer a simple question, What food will you eat on Thanksgiving?” In a culturally diverse school, the class heard many responses. Yet one student stayed quiet. The teacher invited them to talk during a break and heard the heartbreaking news. This student's family didn't always have enough money to buy food and she wasn't expecting they would have anything special on Thanksgiving day. The teacher reached out to Carrie Adams, the middle school’s Professional School Counselor, who quickly moved to action. She had bags of food provided by the local community. “I drove to this student's house and was greeted at the door by the entire family smiling from ear-to-ear. This simple bag of food (and Fareway gift card) seemed to have brightened the Thanksgiving for one family in our community this year!”
A few words spoken in 2016 led that child, and hundreds of other children, to have their stomachs filled.
In 2016 some school counselors came to the Worthington Area Christian Ministerial Association with a concern. The Worthington school district abounds in kids who didn’t get to eat on the weekends.
Pastor Jeanette McCormick and the people of First Lutheran Church of Worthington decided to do something about it. Not knowing the future, but trusting in God to lead, they applied for an ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant. That provided funds to put food in some backpacks for some kids. They then partnered with the Southwestern Minnesota Synod in the “Better Together” program, assembling pre-packaged meals to share.
First Lutheran heard of a need and quickly stepped forward, not having any idea where it would lead. “The biggest thing for me,” said Pastor Jeanette, “is that sometimes as Lutheran churches we can plan so much that we don't take the leap because we're not sure how it will work for the future.”
Soon the First Lutheran thing became a Worthington thing. Once a month food for one elementary school became meals for hungry kids at all the schools, including the local Catholic school. Other churches, businesses, and organizations stepped forward. Funding and volunteers flowed from many sources. Kids ate.
What began with a few backpacks of food now feeds 600 kids a week. Partnerships in the community led to partnership with EveryMeal, providing culturally specific food that brings stability to kids' lives.
"Twists and turns over the years as needs have changed,” shared Pastor Jeanette. “It would have been a different story if people hadn't been able to adapt as they did."
An act of service by First Lutheran Church started something in Worthington. It happened with ELCA and synod support. It now changes a whole community. This is what it means to walk together as congregations of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod.
Congregational Mission Grants - Southwestern Minnesota Synod Endowment Fund
Applications are being accepted through July 15th for these grants to support the mission and ministries of congregations in their local communities in 2025-2026. Addressing community food insecurity is one area the Endowment Fund Committee supports. Click here to learn more and to apply.
