Where good neighbors are truly Christian Neighbors

Families can grocery shop for free at Christian Neighbors in Plainwell, Mich.

By RJ Walters, Editor

Terri Shaler is confident circles of influence are constantly reverberating around Allegan and Kalamazoo counties thanks to local churches and businesses.

What she might not directly point out is that she’s at the center of those circles as the executive director of Christian Neighbors in Plainwell.

An organization that began in 1983 with a paltry $3,500 annual budget funded by several local churches now boasts an annual budget of roughly $300,000 funded by non-profits, area businesses and more than a dozen churches, including five United Methodist Congregations.

Otsego UMC, where Shaler’s husband Joe is the pastor, First UMC Plainwell, Trowbridge UMC, Martin UMC and Shelbyville UMC all contributed to the more than 24,000 meals provided last year and the endless financial, medical and well-being support offered by Christian Neighbors.

One day the organization might be helping a single mother of two find a place to live after she was served an eviction notice and the next they might trying to help a senior citizen find avenues to provide money for medical bills and prescription drugs.

Shaler is the only full-time employee, but four part-timers and several dozen volunteers make meeting the increasing needs of people possible.

“What we do is make connections. It’s probably what we do well — we connect the needs with whoever can fill those needs. We can’t do everything but we know there are people out there who are willing to help,” Shaler said.

For example, she said local grocery stores and food providers donated more than $115,000 to the Christian Neighbors food pantry last year.

And instead of just giving people a box of food, the pantry gives them a list of items they are eligible for and a “grocery store-like” setup to go “shopping in”, complete with carts and retail shelves.

“It is certainly about feeding the poor and taking care of those in need. Really isn’t that just what Christ wants us to do?” Shaler said. “To be his feet, to be his arms — and we love just being able to live out our Christian faith through this ministry.”

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The Lighthouse Overlook: Kalamazoo Farming Project

Farmers team up with local metro ministries to raise money for UMCOR.

What is it?

The Kalamazoo Farming Project is a mission that teams local farmers up with resourceful UMCs to raise money for the UMCOR Foods Resources Bank. Several Kalamazoo district churches work together to educate its members on farming and farmers agree to grow certain crops to sell to help raise money for UMCOR. 

The Foods Resource Bank is a mission of The Advance and the brainchild of two United Methodist farmers who wanted to find a way to use their crops to feed the hungry in distant places. 

The Foods Resource Bank turns crops into cash that supports sustainable food security programs overseas and provides hungry people the dignity of feeding themselves.

How did it start?

Rev. Joe Shaler of Ostego UMC got the idea from an annual conference, when a presentation by the Board of Global Ministries referenced the Farming Project.

“Since I was near Kalamazoo and had a farmer in my church, I contacted the director of the program…and (he) came out an met with my farmer and explained the program,” Shaler said. “And basically it’s goal is to partner quote “city churches” with ones that are rural or at least have a farmer in them, for the purpose of working together to learn how crops grow and then the crop is sold and the money is donated for the project.”

Ostego UMC, Kalamazoo First UMC, and First UMC Plainwell teamed up to officially start the project in 2005.

What type of progress has been made?

Shaler said there were questions about the viability of continuing the project at some discussion sessions earlier this year, but when project coordinator Fay Woolridge of Kalamazoo FUMC ran the numbers the impact was undeniable.

In six years the project has raise $55,364 and has impacted 54 communities, 3,695 household and over 20,000 people altogether.

“I could tell our director was just a little down on stuff from last year, although it ended up being a good year. So we said, is it worth it?” Shaler said. “And when she got those figures we were all astounded.”

Shaler said other benefits of the project include the spiritual fulfillment farmers reap from helping the church, and the education farmers are willing to provide to church members interested in agriculture.

“A lot of the kids in particular think the food comes from McDonald’s, but no, the food comes from the ground. It’s been a very educational piece for our children,” Shaler said.

What churches/people can do to help?

Armed with the realization the Farming Project can be very fruitful, Shaler is encouraging other churches to get on board.

He said Kalamazoo District churches looking to join the project he is a part of, or anyone from the state looking for advice on how to start their own project can contact him or Woolridge.

Shaler can be contacted at UMCOtsego@aol.com or 269-694-2939 and Woolridge can be contacted by calling Kalamazoo FUMC at 269-381-6340.

“After your initial year everything is pretty much in place,” Shaler said. “You usually have an early spring meeting to talk with the farmer about what crop he’s going to grow and then you plan a farm celebration service, where you’re all going to meet out at the farm and bring the kids and kind of introduce people to farming life.”

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