Memphis and Shelby County has one of the highest per capita hunger rates in the United States. At St. Luke’s we take seriously the call to feed the hungry. We house one of the largest food pantries in the city sponsored by the University Council of Congregations and provides meals through Saturday Suppers and Sunday Morning Breakfasts.

Saturday Supper: The Saturday Supper teams consist of groups of people, who as individuals might not be able to impact the hunger problem. However, in small groups, they can provide hungry people in the St. Luke’s community an opportunity for a free meal on Saturday evenings. Volunteers for this ministry become part of rotational teams that are responsible for preparing an evening meal consisting of a snack, meat, two vegetables, and a dessert. The snack is served at 4:00 p.m. The main meal follows at 4:30 p.m. There is no minimum or maximum time required to commit for this mission. To volunteer on a Team or for more information, contact Mary Frances Hall, mclllcmom@hotmail.com or 278-0275.

Community Breakfast: As part of our hunger ministry, the Sunday Community Breakfast is a free meal, open to the community. Volunteers arrive on Sunday mornings at 7:00 a.m. to assist in cooking and serving the meal, as well as cleaning up. Breakfast is served at 8:00 a.m. and team members are usually finished by 9:00 a.m. There are three ways to be involved in this ministry: 1 – Serve on a team that cooks one time every other month, (six times a year); 2 – Simply let us know if there is a Sunday when you would like to help; we will gladly plug you in; and 3 – Be on call for Sundays that find us low on help. To volunteer or for more information, contact David and Denise Hensley, thehensleys421@gmail.com or 901.212.3085 and 901.517.8400.

Food Pantry: Located at St. Luke’s, the food pantry is sponsored by the University Council of Congregations, which includes seven churches, representing five denominations. It provides a three-day supply of food to each person in a family, serving 80+ families per week. The food pantry is open Thursdays – 9:30-12:00 noon, except Thanksgiving and the week after Christmas and also if Shelby County Schools are closed due to weather.  We serve residents of three Zip codes close to St. Luke’s and to MIFA clients. Ten to twelve volunteers work on Tuesdays and Thursdays to stock and run the pantry. Sunday School classes from St. Luke’s and other churches contribute food and money to the pantry. Monetary donations are helpful to purchase food at the Mid-South Food Bank for .10 cents a pound. To volunteer or for more information, contact Carolyn Galloway, carolyn.galloway@att.net.