Fall 2022 – Ministry Updates
Bread For All Food Pantry – We’re busier than ever, with about 100 neighbors served each
Monday during the 90-minute distribution (5-6:30 p.m.). We estimate overall persons served as 350 each week. Diapers are now part of our regular distributions. We have an outdoor distribution model and now utilize a tablet registration process with outdoor Wi-Fi access bolstered by ten bilingual volunteers. We serve a growing number of Afghan refugees and are enhancing our ability to translate our rules and expectations into Pashto.
Serving 100 neighbors is our capacity in terms of food prep and storage space. Some 40-50 volunteers power our efforts, starting before noon and ending at 7:15 p.m., each Monday. New volunteers are always welcome! BFA, begun at Prince of Peace Lutheran in September 2013, moved to Faith Presbyterian in August in 2018. Faith PC is located at 1314 E. Oltorf, directly across from Travis High School.
We’ve enhanced our efforts at BFA during the pandemic with rent assistance and grocery card
programs—$55,000 and $30,000 disbursed respectively. We’re writing more grant proposals (and plan to fundraise among ACL supporters) for these two programs that synergize with our new effort to prevent and combat homelessness.
Mariposa Family Learning Center – It is gratifying and encouraging to see Mariposa grow
into its own as an organization that is “owned by the community,” a necessary step for healthy
establishment as ACL came into the Montopolis neighborhood somewhat as an outsider (Prince of
Peace was in the same 78741 ZIP Code). That said, there is much work to be done for Mariposa to
continue to grow and thrive.
Expansion is happening as we speak. Mariposa opened its new infant room in October!
Enrollment capacity has increased from 11 to 18.
ACL congregations can lend support to Mariposa with donations and work crew visits onsite. Contact me to set up a workday!
Homelessness – We officially christened our ministry efforts to combat and prevent
homelessness in February of this year.
Holy Cross has provided two storage areas (one is climate-controlled) where we house furniture items, principally kitchen tables and chairs, sofas and living room chairs (pet-free), bedding, dressers, coffee and end tables, and microwaves, and other household items. Thanks to St. Martin’s for working alongside ACL for eight overall move-ins since February. (SMLC has provided immigrants and refugees with move-in services for more than six years.)
We are fundraising to buy new mattresses at discount for our move-in efforts, as we’ve determined that used mattresses are problematic. We plan to do “furniture gatherings” through our ACL congregations beginning in January which will prepare us to do more move-ins.
Thanks be to God!
Pr. Tim Anderson
“More, Better, Together” since 2011 www.AustinCityLutherans.org and www.BreadForAll-ATX.org
Email me or call 512-653-7115 as needed!