\u201cI grew up poor. My family didn\u2019t always have enough to eat. For me, it\u2019s payback. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This background helps Dr. Rev. Steve Lewis, pastor of\nGresham United Methodist Church understand food insecurity first hand and\nmotivates him to participate in the Oregon-Idaho Conference Grocery Gift Cards\nfor families program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first $5,000 grant to Gresham UMC in April purchased\ngift cards to stores like Safeway, Albertsons and Fred Meyer. He divided them between three local elementary\nschools through the school principals. Davis Elementary has 100 percent of\ntheir kids on free and reduced lunch. Hartley Elementary has the same\ndemographics and need. Kelly Creek Elementary was the third school to receive\nthe cards for their students. Gresham\nUMC has had a summer school program there for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Columbia District Superintendent Erin Martin contacted Lewis\nabout a month later to see if a second grant would help. That grant was for\n$3,000 and the congregation raised more than $6,000 with donations still coming\nin. As people heard about the program, Lewis said people wanted to get\ninvolved. His neighbor is not a church member but gave $250 to the\nprogram. Lewis\u2019 parents sent a\ncheck. He sees people wanting to help\nothers in need, especially when it is hungry children and families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy hope is people can see there is good in the world,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gresham UMC has given out more than $10,000 in gift cards to families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[89,513,64,17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21087","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-covid-19","8":"category-fund-for-families","9":"category-news","10":"category-oregon-idaho-conference"},"yoast_head":"\n