Food Bank Barrel: We maintain a barrel in Heritage Hall to collect donated non-perishable food items, which are delivered to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Starting with Covid-19 we have been “rolling out” the barrel by our Heritage Hall, every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-5 pm. HPC and our community friends donated 2,072 pounds of food in 2022, enough to provide 1,727 meals to our neighbors. Food and financial donations help the Food Bank combat hunger from Covid, job loss, inflation and natural disasters.
St Paul’s Feed the Hungry Community Meal Program: On the second Wednesday each month, members of our church plan, prepare, and serve dinner to everyone who comes to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church seeking a hot, free meal. HPC volunteers participate in this ministry.
We rely on individual donations, the food received from the local Food Bank, and a grant from the Presbytery of the Redwoods Hunger Task Force to support this program.
Adopt-a-Family through Benicia Community Action Council (BCAC): At Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, BCAC provides us with several families who need assistance. We provide boxes of staples and a holiday meal to brighten their holidays. At Christmas, we also include gift cards and Christmas candy canes.
Pedal for Protein: We always join our Presbytery in this September project to raise money for local Food Banks (not just our local Solano bank). This year we netted $1345.
Fair Trade Coffee: The Fair Trade program ensures that farmers earn a fair wage. We offer Fair Trade coffee, tea, olive oil, and chocolates for purchase every Sunday. Our Fair-Trade coffee sent in $773 to the Equal Exchange organization. To see how the fair trade mission project helps farmers around the globe, visit equalexchange.coop/fair-trade.
Hilda Thompson Medical Ministry Grant: In 2022 HPC received a $5,000 grant from our regional Presbyterian body (the Synod) that supports the Vallejo Together (VT) Citywide Mobile Basic Health Needs Program. HPC distributes grant money to VT to address health needs for people without homes by providing direct access to critical health/mental health services.
Cents-Ability (or 2-Cents-A-Meal): Wonder about the little banks the Hospitality crew puts on tables during hospitality hour after service? Money placed in those banks supports local food pantries and other groups helping the hungry. Donations brought in through Cents-Ability totaled $1200.
Special offerings: Every year we have, at Easter-time, hunger-and disaster-supporting One Great Hour of Sharing ($788); October’s Peace and Global Witness Offering ($53), and pastoral-supporting Christmas Joy ($425 in 2021).
Hunger Action Covenant: Every third fall Heritage applies for PCUSA to renew us as a Hunger Action Covenant. In 2023 we will apply because of our activities, listed above, for hunger alleviation for many in need.