Members and volunteers are busily at work, smearing peanut butter and jelly on bread, counting bags of chips, granola bars, and fruit, and snapping open brown paper lunch bags that will soon be filled.
In the winter, they also distribute socks, hand warmers, hats, gloves, and sleeping bags. Approximately two years ago, Rev. Laird went to Denver for the School of Congregational Development, specifically so she could spend time with the Rev. Laird said. The entry point for OSC is the offering of a lunch or water bottle. The number of lunches made varies based on the time of year.
During the summer, they make 99 lunches, and within an hour, those lunches are gone. During the winter, they make at least 33 lunches because there are fewer people on the streets.
The lunch materials are collected mainly on a donation basis from members, volunteers, Wegmans, and local churches β especially the Bowens Corners UMC in Fulton. One member at The ROAD, Sherri Mackey, goes shopping each week to make sure they have enough peanut butter, jelly, bananas, chips, and granola bars.
And the spirit of Open Street Communion is catching. United Methodists of Upper New York is comprised of a vibrant network of local churches and active new faith communities in 12 districts, covering 48, square miles in 49 of the 62 counties in New York state.
