The Alpena branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon or LDS church, enjoys assisting with the Sunday Supper ministry provided at the Trinity Episcopal Church a few times each year. Since the Alpena congregation does not have space in its chapel for a food pantry, members were pleased to also contribute a $1,000 humanitarian food donation to the Trinity Episcopal Church food pantry ministry this summer.

Ben Eggleston, branch president of the Alpena congregation, works as a radiologist at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, where he met Ellen Eagan, Sunday Supper and Outreach coordinator and speech pathologist at the hospital, and coordinated the donation with her. He delivered boxes of canned fruits, meats, jam, and other items from the Regional Bishops Storehouse in Farmington Hills, one of several facilities throughout the country operated by the LDS Church that produce and package supplies using members’ donations and volunteer efforts.

“Our congregation members are blessed by the friendships we have made and the opportunities we have had to serve others while working at the Trinity Episcopal Sunday Supper and the Vietnam Veterans Feed a Family program. We believe that every person on earth is a spirit child of God and that serving others is also serving God. The one who serves receives blessings and happiness beyond the time and means sacrificed,” Eggleston said.

The Alpena congregation has made similar donations the past two years to the Trinity Episcopal Church food pantry ministry and the Vietnam Veterans Thanksgiving Feed a Family effort, and looks forward to more opportunities to serve alongside neighbors to strengthen the community.

To learn about opportunities with the food pantry ministry contact Ellen Eagan, and to learn more about the Mormon church visit www.mormon.org.