Although churches in New York State are closed, the spirit of the church is still working. Lakeshore Community Church in Greece is a testament to this. According to Laurie Re, Creative Manager of Lakeshore Community Church, “The church building may be closed, but the church is alive, well and active, this has been the mantra of the Church since Governor Cuomo announced the ban on public gatherings in mid-March.”
Since that time, the church began encouraging its members to seek out ways to serve our neighbors and show them the love of Jesus. Then a call for help came from Barbara Thomas, Executive Director of Rochester Family Mission. Barbara contacted Vince DiPaola, Senior Pastor of Lakeshore Community Church, to let him know that the shelves of their food pantry on Tremont Street in Rochester were dangerously low and they needed help filling the shelves. This request was a no brainer. The Missions Team at Lakeshore sprang into action and organized a Food Drive led by Ken Oemcke and Mike Grugnale where people could do a “curbside drop-off” of food donations to help out Rochester Family Mission. The Food Drive kicked off on Wednesday April 1 and continues through Saturday April 4. The hours of operation are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 4-8pm, and Saturday 10am-2pm. Financial donations can also be made by donating online to Rochester Family Mission at https://rfmission.org/donate.
Specifically Rochester Family Mission is in need of Canned Foods: Meats, Tuna, Soups, Stews, Chili, Gravy, Sauces, Pasta, Beans, Fruits and Vegetables; Dried Goods: Rice, Pasta, Soups, Breakfast Cereal, Pancake Mix; Other Foods: Peanut Butter, Jelly, Spaghetti Sauce, Syrup and Snacks; Personal Items: Diapers (size 2, 3, 4, 5 & Pull Ups), Toilet Paper and Household Items.
