…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

– Matthew 25:35-40

At The Galilee Center, where I have the privilege of serving as Director, helping feed our food insecure neighbors is one of our foundational and ongoing ministries. In early 2023, Galilee’s emergency food pantry, now called Lydia’s Pantry, opened through the prayerful discernment of the Becoming Beloved Community group. This group came together in 2022 and is comprised of members of different Episcopal congregations in Charlotte, including Christ Church and Saint Michael and All Angels.

In 2025, thanks to a generous donation from a parishioner, we were able to expand Lydia’s Pantry. That entailed moving the pantry to a larger, dedicated space and increasing offerings to include household and dignity products in addition to shelf stable food.

For the past couple of years, Lydia’s Pantry has remained stocked through donations received from individuals and from congregations. Galilee also hosts an active Nourish Up pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Lydia’s Pantry and the Nourish Up pantry work in coordination – if someone receives emergency food from Lydia’s Pantry, we see that they are also registered in the Nourish Up system.

From the numbers of people coming to Galilee for food assistance, we can see that the need is not diminishing. The reality is that the need will likely increase in the months and years to come. When – not if – a person or a family comes to Galilee for food, we do our very best to make sure that they do not leave empty handed.

If you feel called to help us keep pantry shelves stocked, click here to access a food donations wish list. To have donations sent directly to The Galilee Center, click here. In addition to the items included in the wish list, we could also use household supplies (e.g., inexpensive can openers, dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper) and diapers of various sizes.

If you prefer to bring donations to church, leave items in the bin outside of Laura Konitzer’s office. If you would like to bring donations to The Galilee Center (Monday - Thursday, 10 am – 2 pm), we are located at 3601 Central Avenue. I would love to see you there!

For more information, contact me at parkere@christchurchcharlotte.org or Laura Konitzer konitzerl@christchurchcharlotte.org.

With gratitude and in service,

Emily+