On behalf of the church team, Deborah and Alan Coutinho are requesting donations to ensure that LifePath’s efforts continue to feed those homebound elders who are unable to obtain meals on a regular basis, serving 550 meals weekly, through the efforts of 45 drivers covering over 42K miles yearly. While these meals are now delivered chilled or frozen, we look forward to again delivering hot meals; COVID permitting.
"Souper" Bowl 2021 at FCC of Shelburne
The Final Score is 133-133...the winner is the Food Pantry!
The Final Score is 133-133...the winner is the Food Pantry!
Thanks to an amazing group of church members,
friends, and the community, the Hilltown
Churches Food Pantry will receive $$3,850.00!
friends, and the community, the Hilltown
Churches Food Pantry will receive $$3,850.00!
Who can put the first points on the scoreboard?
How many touchdowns can we score?
Can the Spaghetti Meatballs smother the Chicken Noodles? Or will the Chicken Noodles drown the Spaghetti Meatballs?
How much can you contribute to feed our neighbors?
How many contributions from our congregation, our friends and our neighbors can we collect?
If you can help support this vital mission, please make out a check to First Congregational Church of Shelburne and mail it to 21 Church Common Road, Shelburne, MA 01370. While your last name will determine which team receives the donation, we encourage you to write your team name (Chicken Noodles (last name A-M) and the Spaghetti Meatballs (last name N-Z)) in the memo field.
Sophia's goal was $500...scroll down to see the final total!
A letter from Sophia Goodnow to our church and our community:
In my 8th grade year, I was chosen to be the Shelburne ambassador for Project 351. Project 351 is a community service based organization that teaches 8th graders how to grow their leadership skills and be an active contributor to their community. The team of 8th grade teachers picks one student from each town in Massachusetts to become an ambassador for one year. We start our service year by going to Boston and learning more about what Project 351 does and how important community service is. As the year goes on, Project 351 helps ambassadors from all over the state run projects of their own (like clothing or food drives). The annual fall service project is a food drive.
I have chosen to run my own food drive this year. One thing that really struck me was how badly this pandemic has been in relation to food insecurity. The amount of food insecure people has skyrocketed from 8.4% of households, to 16.6% of households as of July. Children are among the most vulnerable to hunger, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino communities. Learning about how big of a problem hunger is in Massachusetts made me feel like I had to start helping, even if it was only a few dollars, that was one person who no longer had to be worried about where and how they are going to get food.
I have decided to work with the Hilltown Food Pantry for two reasons. I knew that the church has done drives for them in the past and they serve most of the towns that have Mohawk as their high school.
Thank You Sophia!
In my 8th grade year, I was chosen to be the Shelburne ambassador for Project 351. Project 351 is a community service based organization that teaches 8th graders how to grow their leadership skills and be an active contributor to their community. The team of 8th grade teachers picks one student from each town in Massachusetts to become an ambassador for one year. We start our service year by going to Boston and learning more about what Project 351 does and how important community service is. As the year goes on, Project 351 helps ambassadors from all over the state run projects of their own (like clothing or food drives). The annual fall service project is a food drive.
I have chosen to run my own food drive this year. One thing that really struck me was how badly this pandemic has been in relation to food insecurity. The amount of food insecure people has skyrocketed from 8.4% of households, to 16.6% of households as of July. Children are among the most vulnerable to hunger, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino communities. Learning about how big of a problem hunger is in Massachusetts made me feel like I had to start helping, even if it was only a few dollars, that was one person who no longer had to be worried about where and how they are going to get food.
I have decided to work with the Hilltown Food Pantry for two reasons. I knew that the church has done drives for them in the past and they serve most of the towns that have Mohawk as their high school.
Thank You Sophia!
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August-September 2020: The pandemic (plus our kitchen renovation) has forced a halt to some of our outreach into the community. However, we are making a donation to the Mary Lyon Foundation Covid-19 Relief Fund. It's never too late to send a donation to the First Congregational Church of Shelburne, 21 Church Common Road, Shelburne, MA 01370 or contribute directly on line. You will be helping provide teacher resources, fund innovative ideas for learning, ensure families have access to healthy food, and help with back-to-school shopping.
2020 is a new decade and a new twist on our "Souper Bowl" collection |
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Flour, sugar, brown sugar, cake mixes, baking soda
Chicken and beef broth
Laundry detergent, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner
Baby items: disposable diapers, baby wipes
Chicken and beef broth
Laundry detergent, hand soap, shampoo, conditioner
Baby items: disposable diapers, baby wipes
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First Congo
"Downs Hunger" "Souper" Bowl Sunday...once again! This year (2019) we began on February 3 and will tally our total of non-perishable items to be donated to the Hilltown Churches Food Pantry on February 24. 970+ lbs collected! |
31 Boxes filled for the Food Pantry
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Pastor Rob and Diantha at Cathedral in the
Light on a cool December 16, 2018.
We celebrated the Christmas pageant with
friends and then served breakfast for lunch!
What? Time? Why?
Friday night Community Meal at Trinity Church
July 6th, 5:30 pm
Our church is prepping and serving the meal:
hot dogs, salads, and a surprise dessert!
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US!
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Father's Day 2018 at Cathedral in the Light - Greenfield Town Common - a warm day, perfect for hot dogs, potato salad, and cole slaw served by our church members and friends! |
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2018 Meals on Wheels Walk-a-thon
"SOUPER" BOWL SUNDAY - FEBRUARY 5, 2018
How long is a football field?
100 Yards of Food for the Hilltown Food Pantry!
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Socks and Hygiene Kits ready for elementary school children,
Cathedral in the Light, and NELCWIT
On September 10, 2017, Cathedral in the Light celebrated its 1st year serving on the Greenfield Town Common!
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Our church participated in the 1st anniversary of Cathedral in the Light on the Greenfleld Town Common
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25th Annual Meals on Wheels Walkathon was held on
Saturday, April 29, 2017
at Greenfield Community College
One College Drive, Greenfield, MA 01301
Alan Coutinho, volunteer Meals on Wheels driver, led our church team, to support this important day in our community.
Thank You to All...our team raised $2,600!!
Saturday, April 29, 2017
at Greenfield Community College
One College Drive, Greenfield, MA 01301
Alan Coutinho, volunteer Meals on Wheels driver, led our church team, to support this important day in our community.
Thank You to All...our team raised $2,600!!
And, again, on Easter Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection at
Cathedral in the Light on the Greenfield Town Common.
Sunday, February 5, 2017: Our "Souper Bowl" celebration
continued on the Greenfield Town Common
continued on the Greenfield Town Common
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Sunday, December 18, 2016 Six members of our church family participated in the Cathedral in the Light service held on the Greenfield Town Common each Sunday at 2 pm, rain or shine (on this day, rain and snow!) |
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Box of Socks!! In honor of Dick Bole, we again collected socks of different sizes and colors, and his wife, Jeanne, decorated this box to hold them. We discovered last year that there is a great need in the schools for socks to keep those growing feet toasty warm. So we asked for socks for school-age children--at last count, there are 606 pairs of socks to be distributed between four elementary schools and the Ashfield and Charlemont food pantries.
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UPDATE: The final total for our church's fundraisers for the Meals on Wheels program is over $1,800! Last Saturday, April 23, our Fellowship Hall was alive with music (vocal, guitar, ukulele, piano, violin, banjo), poetry, stories, and dance as local talents were shared...all to benefit the Meals on Wheels program provided through LifePath, formerly Franklin County Home Care. Brownies, cookies, muffins, cream puffs, and whoopee pies were enjoyed by those attending; and when the fun was over, our church will be giving $645 to the Meals on Wheels Walk-a-Thon. There were many hands helping behind the scene to offer the community this fun-filled evening, but special thanks goes to Barbara Goodchild, the "chief cook and bottle washer" of the event. In addition, we have walkers who are gathering pledges for the Walk-a-Thon event next Saturday, leaving at 8 am from the Franklin Country Technical School. It's not too late to sponsor...Alan Coutinho or Will Sencabaugh will be happy to sign you up!
500 lb Food Challenge for the Hilltown Churches Food Pantry
The Missions Committee challenged the congregation on January 17 to bring in 500 pounds by Souper Bowl Sunday (February 7) of non-perishable food to be donated to the Hilltown Churches Food Pantry. Amazingly, when it was weighed, the total was 735.5 pounds! Thank you to all who helped exceed the challenge!
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