Recognition

This past Sunday, the tables in the narthex of one of the local churches in my little swath of the Midwest were full of people enjoying camaraderie and some scrumptious cheesecake and coffees. They all had something in common…. they all had volunteered to make this little swath of the Midwest a better place for all. They were all part of the group that make the Norwalk Area Ministerial Association happen.

Though I have written snatches about this association in other blog posts, I am devoting this particular post purely to the ministry and its volunteers, for they deserve all of the recognition they can get.

**Note – all statistics that I use come from the handouts given during the recognition celebration. Also, there are links within this post that give you more information on some of the ministries should you feel led to help or if you need help and are in the area of my little swath of the Midwest.**

The Norwalk Area Ministerial Association is a unique association, made up of the eight churches that are within the local school district. It was started a few decades ago when the pastors of those eight churches would meet up every once in awhile to have coffee and discuss the issues they and their congregations were having. They started a fund to help out families in the area. But for the longest time, it was just a group of a few who just helped when a need was brought to their attention.

It has since morphed into a truly ecumenical project that encompasses many different ministries that help many different people in the community. This ministry brings immediate assistance with basic needs in times of crisis as well as offering support to those who may need it. Since it is housed at all of the churches in the area, they share the work and also share in the recognition of that work, making it a truly universal and nondenominational project that serves everyone, even those who do not join a faith community. And without the volunteers who work tirelessly to help, the ministries would not be able to do the work that they do.

Two different food pantries are run under the ministry. One is the Norwalk Area Food Pantry that is housed in the New Life Lutheran church and is open twice a week for anyone in the area who needs help. The other is a larger Mobile Food Pantry that is brought to the Norwalk Christian Church one Tuesday every other month as part of the Food Bank of Iowa’s Mobile Pantry program. Both bring sustenance to households that already have their budgets stretched in this economy, serving averages of 80+ families weekly at the local pantry and 120+ families bi-monthly at the mobile site. Both are run purely by volunteers who help collect funds and food, open up and then close down the sites, and also keep track of statistics that enable more grants and funds to be found to help keep the sites running.

As an extension of those pantries, there is also the Food Rescue program. Several businesses in the area have been able to reduce their food waste by donating food that is just past their sale-by dates or damaged in a way that they are still edible, but not sellable. Over 30,000 pounds of food was rescued in 2023 from four of these business, and events have donated leftovers as well. This food is collected by volunteers throughout the week and then taken to drop-off points where it is given to families in need. It also is used to stock the community refrigerator at the local library for people to utilize. Anything left over is then also taken to the local food pantry to be given out there as well. What is a special thing about this is that some of those in need also make sure to share what they have. It is not uncommon for some to pick up for others who can’t come to the drop-off locations, be it because they don’t have transportation, are shut-ins, or maybe have to work at the drop-off times. Because bagged salads and packed produce is sometimes part of this rescue, people are able to eat a little healthier than just relying on shelf-stable goods. And they help stretch the budgets of those who need help just a bit so that they can have fuller bellies and bigger hearts.

There is also the Warrior Giving Wednesdays. This is a unique project that is run monthly at Norwalk Christian Church and is a collection of many items, often things that food assistance programs will not purchase such as paper goods, cleaning supplies, toiletries and first aid supplies. Throughout the month, supplies are collected from donations or purchased with funds that were given for the purpose. These supplies are then arranged in the fellowship hall and narthex of the local Christian church one Thursday a month so that those who may want to utilize the service can pick out what they need or want. Below are some images of what that looks (taken in November of 2023) as well as the donation schedule for 2024.

About 84 families a month utilize the service, being served by 31 volunteers who have done everything from organize everything in record time (since the church that this is housed in also is the hub for the local Boy Scouts, extra space for the private Montessori school down the street as well as has its own programs and services going on throughout the week), greet the families the program helps, help collect donations from various drop-box locations, and just help spread the word. Friendships are formed between volunteers as well as the families helped and budgets that are stretched have a little help.

Part of the Warrior Giving Wednesdays is the Shoe Love program that provides a pair of nice athletic shoes, some socks and underwear to children so that they can do things like participate in physical education classes at school and just be able to have something to wear. Last year (2023), 153 children in 68 families were helped this way, giving them one less thing to be picked on at school.

There is also the Warrior Giving Project, which helps those in the community at Christmas time. This is a HUGE deal to my community. Businesses, churches, and individuals all pitch in to make the holidays a little more brighter for those who need it. 126 households were served in 2023, with smore that 1400 gifts given. Over $26,000 was also handed out to help with things such as housing payments, propane, school fees, car repairs, utility bills, and medical bills. 68 volunteers worked tirelessly to help organize the gifts and deliver them to those in need, filling the sanctuary and fellowship hall of the Christian church with things to make the time of year a little merrier and easier for everyone. Below are photos of before and after this transformation of the church.

And as Sunday proved, the work could not be done without those who feel the need to help the least of these. And those volunteers do the work not because they want to impress anyone or receive any fame. They do it to shoulder the work, to live out the faith they have, to be ecumenical in the work. They do this because they want to show those who need it magic that is their stories. They want to continue to be that love and joy, that hope and peace, that helping hand that gives. And while little recognition is given at times…. it is just as well received.

For that is part of the story.

Stay magical, dear friends.

**I wanted to take a moment to state this as well – Angie Croll, one of the busiest volunteers with the Norwalk Area Ministerial Association (and a dear friend of this author) was recognized as the citizen of the year by the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce in 2023 for her service. She was recognized at the volunteer celebration this past Sunday as well.**

Photograph that heads this post was taken in December 2022 by pastor Travis Stanley of Norwalk Christian Church and was used previously in my blog post There will be poor always.

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