Church goes door to door with offers of food
Union Baptist Church of Swissvale has for years hosted a monthly food-pantry distribution, one of the many neighborhood service projects that prompt members to talk of being the “busiest little church in the East End.” And each week it also receives surplus food from 412 Food Rescue, which it distributes to members and neighbors in need.
But with the pandemic-fueled economic crash, and with the building closed to regular worship, members have taken extra steps — literally.
Every Friday, a group of them pack up boxes of fresh produce and other foods, then pick a different street in their Swissvale neighborhood and start knocking on doors at random, asking if the residents need food.
On this Friday afternoon, as they walked up and down Wayne Street, some people who came to the door declined the offer, saying they were able to afford food on their own and urging the volunteers to give the food to someone more needy. But in less than an hour, the church members had found takers for all 10 boxes they brought out.
The volunteers have been making these weekly rounds since midMarch, when the pandemic-induced shutdowns began. Even with the monthly pantry open with social-distancing measures added, members realized the need in their community was great.
“We decided, let’s not have the food go to waste,” said Ella Scales, minister of evangelism and outreach. “So we decided to be a benefit for people who can’t come to the church or don’t even know we have a food pantry.” And, as one person said when answering the door in a recent food distribution, it’s a way of delivering supplies to those who can’t get to one of the large drive-up food distributions.
The volunteers wear masks and gloves, either handing the food boxes to recipients or leaving them
on the porch, depending on circumstances.
“The church is bigger than any four walls,” said Union’s senior pastor, the Rev. Justin Eidinger. He’s been there for less than a year but has quickly learned about the church’s culture: “Union has always been a church that takes care of the community.”
He said the first time he joined the volunteers on the weekly distributions, he was struck by the amount of need they saw.
“Naturally, some people, you’ll see that pride at first, that hesitation,” he said. But, “I was shocked at how fast we got rid of them. You could see there was an instant connection with the community.”
All this unprecedented activity comes even as the church celebrated its 100th anniversary this past Sunday — online. Plans for an in-person gathering will have to wait.
In the meantime, they’re out there offering food, an encouraging word and, as needed, a listening ear.
“We meet elderly people who just need somebody to talk to,” said Ms. Scales. “You listen to the stories of their grandkids or children. We just want to do something.”