Submitted by Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Austin.
(Austin) – Responding to one person’s immediate need for food, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (Austin) established Hope Pantry and Closet in 2019. Through a partnership between the congregation and the Austin community, and with the financial support of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod through its Food Ministry Grant, the pantry is now a full-sized room stocked with perishable and non-perishable goods that is accessed weekly by multiple community members who experience food insecurity.
Expanding the congregation’s engagement, Our Savior’s is now an active member of Austin’s Food Security Initiative, a coalition of local organizations, companies, government representatives, volunteers, and hunger-relief partners who work together to help close Mower County’s food insecurity gap.
Plans for the future include:
- The expansion of Hope Pantry and Closet’s protein selection by partnering with area farmers
- Face-to-face volunteer interaction to ensure that individuals using the pantry have access to other community resources
Word has spread quickly that Our Savior’s is a safe, reliable, loving faith family who provides a space with food and clothing for those that are most in need. Thanks be to God!
Learn more about the 2024 Synod Food Ministry Grant process here.
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Southeastern Minnesota Synod Office