If we met Jesus, what evidence would we show him that we were truly followers of him? Would we show him our church attendance, the ways we avoided doing bad stuff, or our life’s greatest accomplishments? Those might not be bad items to list if they flowed from a life focused on Jesus and not those items exclusively. However, Jesus has a better list of evidence to show if we are truly his followers that ran counter intuitive to when it was said and runs counter intuitive to us today. In Matthew 25 Jesus says,
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Our world often judges the success of others by the success of what was perhaps accomplished in the public sphere. However, Jesus judges us on how we cared for “the least of these” in this world; often the acts that are behind the scenes and go unnoticed. Jesus even doubles down on his statement when his audience questions when he was truly in need of help.
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Jesus identifies with the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned so much so, that when we love “the least of these” it is as though we were loving and embracing Christ himself.
I am thankful to be a part of an organization in which our team members have a heart for “the least of these.” It warms my heart to think about all the volunteers who have served people behind the scenes through The New Love Center. Not to get praise or recognition, but because they love the hungry because they ultimately love Christ.
|
|
Brett Newell
Operations Manager
|
|
This weekend (and every day) we want to thank all those who have sacrificed to keep those in our country safe. As John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends". This Memorial Day, we encourage you to take time to pause and reflect on the more than 1.3 million Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.
As always, we also want to thank our dedicated volunteers who donate their valuable time. Each hour makes a true impact in the communities that we serve! From our faithful volunteers who support our ministries to each and every donation...every gift of time, talent, and treasure fed the mission of The New Love Center, where the love of Christ provides for all.
A special note of thanks to Williams Company for serving us. With a growing need to serve more clients and to store more food we needed to expand our shelves. For Williams Company’s service project they chose to serve The New Love Center which was perfect timing for our shelf needs.
|
|
|
April
Program Impact
To learn more about each of our programs, including days and hours, visit our website HERE.
Cafe
827 Meals
Weis Donated 819.67 lbs of Food
Individuals Donated 309.61 lbs of Food
67 Volunteers Donated 290.50 Hours
Food Pantry
834 Clients
70 New Clients
207 Volunteers Donated 565 Hours
3,364 lbs of Food Donated
Fresh Food Farmacy
211 Individuals Served
90 Households
Military Shares
140 Households Impacted
Elder Share
82 Boxes Distributed
Backpack Program
148 Students (Elementary and Middle Schools)
592 Total Backpacks
10 "Bulldog Baskets (High School Distribution)
602 Total Backpacks
PB&J
14 People Picked Up
Please come in and see what we do, with a first hand look at how you can make a difference, and get your questions answered.
To set up a time to visit, call the office at 570-244-8838 or click HERE. |
|
May
Pudding Cups
June
Large Egg Noodles
July
Powdered Cascade Dish Detergent (Please No Pods)
|
|
|
|
For the Month of May we would like to highlight Ken Bowers who leads our Backpack program. Ken has been filling backpacks with food for kids in our community for over six years. When he started serving with the backpack program we were serving close to 35 students and the program is now up to 140 students. Ken plans the food items, helps store, pack, and deliver the backpacks to schools in our community; along with several other servant leaders.
When asked why he serves Ken replied: “We see the need in our community and we want to help.” Ken, thank you for the ways that you have made our impact in the community possible!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
