Cranberry church puts principles to practice
“If you lavish your food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom shall become like midday” Isaiah 58:10.
CRANBERRY TWP — It's the whole concept of our church: to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” said Rick Pelloni, a nine-year member of Victory Family Church in Cranberry Township and its Fishers of Men team.
Pelloni is one of 160 volunteers who have assisted with the church's Helping Your Neighbor program, a food distribution event that will last as long as the community needs it to during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outreach Pastor Chris Palmer said the church has served 124 families since Monday.
“We expect that number to continue to grow the longer this crisis goes on,” Palmer said. “We have experienced an increase in those coming to receive food every day.”
The church is distributing food to people in need from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.With shifts of nine to 10 volunteers — to stay within the Trump administration's recommendations for public gatherings — VFC has been collecting and handing out bags of nonperishable food.“We are always looking for ways to be involved in our community and to help those in need,” Palmer said. “We have a waiting list of people in our church who want to help.”“We just really believe,” said Vicky East, who has been a VFC member for 23 years. “We've got a great volunteer team, all the time.”East has joined other volunteers in accepting and unloading donations, packaging individual bags and dispersing items via the church's drive-through setup: Those who need food simply drive up to the church and wait in their vehicles.“It's just a hand-off,” Palmer said. “(And) there's no limit.”Helping Your Neighbor has received three tractor-trailer deliveries of foodstuffs this week, with donations coming largely from Walmart.Sysco and Pepsi are also contributing to the food distribution. And there are many citizens who are giving what they can.“All of the donated items that come in are distributed to those in need,” Palmer said. “The heart of Victory Family Church is to help all people realize that God loves them unconditionally.”
Debbie Bond has been going to VFC for five years and is a member of its Dream Team, a group that provides for the church's needs through a number of volunteer efforts.“Did you ever hear that phrase, 'What would Jesus do?' ” Bond asked. “I ask ... that.”Palmer said the goal of Helping Your Neighbor is to give people hope in an era of uncertainty.East agreed.“It really brings people together at a time when it's so challenging,” East said.VFC's efforts extend beyond Cranberry Township. With another church campus in New Castle and ties to Pittsburgh, the church has also established food programs in Lawrence and Allegheny counties.Palmer said VFC's “beautiful building” along Route 19 can be used as a community resource. He believes making an impact is about everyone doing their part, no matter how big or how small.“We were serving our community before this crisis,” Palmer said. “And we will continue serving our community once this crisis passes.”Palmer said VFC will begin offering food deliveries next week for people who shouldn't leave their homes.At the moment, the church is focusing on populations that might need extra help, like single mothers and the elderly.But there are no formal qualifications for receiving food. Volunteers hope to serve as many people as possible.“You don't have to belong to this church,” Palmer said. “Just come.”
