For Immediate Release
Highlands Ranch Churches Raise
40,000 Pounds of Food for Denver Urban Ministries
Volunteers from St. Luke’s UMC, St. Andrew UMC, Parker UMC, the Highlands Ranch and Greater Denver Communities Came Together for “The Feeding of 5,000”
Highlands Ranch, Colo. – Oct. 10, 2008 – Volunteers from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church (UMC), St. Andrew UMC, Parker UMC, the Highlands Ranch and greater Denver communities volunteered over 2,000 volunteer hours over the weekend for the “Feeding of the 5,000.” They raised 40,000 pounds of food for Denver Urban Ministries (DenUM), enough non-perishable food to feed Denver’s hungry for over five weeks.
“The Feeding of the 5,000 wasn’t just a success in the amount of food we raised but in the effect that it had on the community,” said Rev. Brad Laurvick of St. Luke’s. Volunteers helped distribute paper bags to houses in local neighborhoods, collect food at the grocery stores and load donated food into semi trucks to take to DenUM.
The sense of community continued on into Saturday and Sunday evenings with special worship services. The theme of the food drive and the services was U2, indicating that the event needed everyone in order to make a difference. St. Luke’s Fusion band played songs by U2, combining worship and communion for two memorable nights.
The “Feeding of the 5,000” marked the end to St. Luke’s celebration of its 25th year as a congregation by inviting the community to make a difference in the world. “Or helping to make the world different,” said Rev. Janet Forbes of St. Luke’s.
Local community members weren’t the only ones getting involved in the food drive. Transportation Logistics Management provided the semi trucks to take the food from St. Luke’s to DenUM. Four local King Soopers opened their storefronts to allow volunteers to collect donations and further bring people together.
The success that came from this food drive has left the community eager to start thinking about the possibilities of next year’s annual event.
“This is the first time that the (Highlands Ranch) community has had a food drive of this magnitude,” said Laurvick. “With the experience from this year, we can involve more people next year, harnessing the excitement and watching it grow.”
Laurvick said that the event did not solve hunger in Denver but addressed needs and hope for tomorrow.
“In the Feeding of the 5,000, an ancient story from the Bible, we celebrate the feeding of family after family, first on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the first century and in Denver in the 21st,” said Rev. Forbes.
Denver Urban Ministries, DenUM, was organized in 1981 as a 501(c)(3) human service agency to provide emergency and stabilization services in Denver’s most impoverished neighborhoods supplying clothing and food, www.denum.org.
Guided by the spirit of God, St. Luke’s UMC is an inclusive community of faith, seeking to meet people where they are, growing together toward full humanity, through living the teachings of Jesus: Love, Acceptance, Justice, and Hope. St. Luke’s is located at 8817 South Broadway in Highlands Ranch, one-quarter mile south of C-470. Regular office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sunday services, led by Rev. Janet Forbes, are held at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday school and free childcare are available during the 9:30 and 11 services. For more information visit www.stlukeshr.com.
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