God’s breath filled all things
with a living, breathing light—
A light that thrives in the depths of darkness,
blazes through murky bottoms.
It cannot and will not be quenched.
– John 1:5 (The Voice)
Dear friends,
Wherever you are at in the midst of this crisis, know that God sees you. Through the life of Jesus, we know that God relates intimately to any pain and suffering that we experience. God also particularly cares for the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable. And where God is, light shines – the darkness has not overcome it.
We see this light shining in the midst of this crisis through followers of Jesus responding to tangible needs with faith, hope, and generosity. We wanted to send out a special email today elevating two urgent opportunities right now. Consider whether you might be able to act, and sharing with your church community.
Food Insecurity in Chelsea
Chelsea is currently the hardest-hit city with COVID-19 in the state of Massachusetts. Chelsea is also facing an overwhelming amount of community need for food. Chelsea doesn’t have access to the Resiliency Fund and other volunteer resources that the city of Boston has.
In response, Pastor David Searles from Central Assembly of God Church in East Boston has put together a list of food resources for the community.
Chelsea is currently looking for:
-Diaper donations – Email Mimi Graney or text 617-831-8332 to schedule a time to drop off items.
-Food packaging volunteers – Shifts Monday through Saturday, 8am to 12pm – Contact Alex Train (Assistant Director of Planning and Development) for more information.
-Economic resources for a funeral fund for the community so families can have the resources necessary for a dignified funeral and cremation. Donations can be made out to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 201 Washington Ave., Chelsea, MA, attn: Vicars Funeral Fund.
-Diapers for families. People can donate to a Baby Products & Supplies Fund coordinated by the Emmanuel Gospel Center. Diapers will be sent to Chelsea, Boston, and greater Boston where we find there is need.
Boston Hope
The Boston Hope is a field hospital that has been set up at the Boston Convention Center, primarily for individuals experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 and patients who are recovering from COVID. They have an urgent need for:
-Bibles for bible studies run by hospital chaplains
-Everyday Items to support the behavioral health needs of patients, including art supplies, journals, and games.
To help, you can either purchase an item off of their Target wish list, or if you’d prefer a tax-deductible donation, you can donate to UniteBoston (Indicate “COVID Response”) and we will distribute these funds to them.
Click on the image above to watch a beautiful depiction of various people striving to make light shine in the darkness: “And when this passes, may we say that love spread more quickly than any virus ever could.”
Thank you for being part of the UniteBoston community – We’re here to connect Christians for the flourishing of our communities. May God help us to be sensitive and courageous in embodying God’s love to our neighbors.
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