Mission Team
Fighting Food Insecurity
Food Pantry Partners
Friedens UCC is dedicated to supporting food pantries who are fighting food insecurity. Our largest partner in this initiative is the Oley Valley Food Pantry (OVFP). The OVFP is also supported by Helping Harvest, which serves all of Berks and Schuylkill Counties.
Friedens UCC supports these programs and partner organizations through item donations which are obtained through monthly collection items.
Picture of Little Free Pantry
Little Free Pantry
In addition to supporting food pantry organizations, we have a Little Free Pantry at Friedens UCC. This source of food is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year in order to provide constant access to members of the local community who may be struggling to put a meal on the table.
Our Little Free Pantry can be found by our parking lot, by the Main Street entrance in the church's bell tower.
Drive-Through Drop-Off
In addition to collecting items in the marked bins on the Mission Team carts in Weidner Hall, the Mission Team regularly organizes Drive-Through Drop Off dates. These are opportunities for you to simply pull into our parking lot, pass your donation out your window, and then drive away.
Drive-Through Drop-Off dates are always the Saturday before the third Thursday of every month. This often works out to be the second Saturday of the month, but not always. Dates for 2024 Drive-Through Drop-Offs are listed below.
January 13th
February 17th
March 16th
April 13th
May 11th
June 15th
July 13th
August 17th
September 14th
October 12th
November 16th
December 14th
Monthly Collection Items
Each month, items are designated as the "collection item". These are items of priority for local food pantries based on the items they are low on in their stock and if they anticipate being able to source the items alternatively. Other shelf-stable items are always accepted, but the "collection item" for each month is a special need that our church community is asked to fulfill.
Below is an outline of the collections items for each month of the year.
Information about specific month's collection items will be updated as it becomes available, however the items remain generally the same from year to year.January
Jelly
February
Tuna
Spaghetti
March
Cereal
April
Pancake Mix
Syrup
May
Canned Vegetables
June
Canned Soup
July
Ketchup
August
Canned Vegetables
Corn, Green Beans, & PeasSeptember
Canned Tuna
October
Canned Vegetables
Corn & Green BeansNovember
Canned Soup
December
Canned Tuna