Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Gather

Ken Hale

Gather for a Hunger-free Community, is the contemporary organization, with over two hundred years of history in Portsmouth. Founded in 1816, as an effort to assist families of fishermen, volunteers have been serving members in our community who experience hunger. The trefoil mission is the distribution of nourishing food to those in need, holding a leadership role in building an equitable and sustainable food system, and to galvanize public support for ending hunger. ( gathernh.org )

My involvement with this organization commenced over a year ago. Having free time during the Covid pandemic, and a desire to give back to the community, Gather appeared to 'fit the bill'. My personal rewards have more than outnumbered my volunteer hours. The knowledge I gleaned about the food insecure population on the seacoast was staggering. Friends and connections made, both among my fellow volunteers and clients, counterbalanced my solitude resulting from the required quarantine, and will remain with me long after this 'masked time'. But, perhaps the greatest rewards for me are the expressions of thanks and gratitude received for the bit part my contributions made to the entire operation.

Gather offers many programs including the following: Pantry Market (210 West Road, Monday-Thursday, 10-5pm); Community Fridays at Community Campus (Fridays 9-1pm); Meals 4 Kids; Meals 4 Seniors; Farm Shares 4 Families and Grow 4 Gather. And of course, the program known to most St John's parishioners Cooking 4 Community. For more information about the services Gather provides please call (603) 436-0641.

Please join us at our seventh annual Fill the Hall, Saturday June 26, 2021. For a complete listing of desired donations see http://www.stjohnsnh.org/new-events/2021/6/20/fill-the-hall-food-drive

Editor’s note: St. John’s will be gathering food and money for fill the hall this coming Sunday the 20th 8-11am and next Thursday 5-7pm.