Change Font Size:   A A A

Aug 22, 2014 | Sasha Belenky

How Ferguson Is Coming Together To Help Struggling Families

 

[Huffington Post] Even before the death of Michael Brown on Aug. 9 and the unrest that has followed, the Rev. Steve Lawler had seen interest in his church's food pantryrise.

 

"The demand has been high anyway, because it's back-to-school time," Lawler told The Huffington Post. "A lot of families, by the time you buy school supplies and clothes, don't have money to cover all the food that they need."

 

The violence of the past two weeks exacerbated this already difficult situation. With many stores closed, families have been unable to obtain food and other essential items. Unable to restock its shelves, the food pantry at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church also was forced to close in the days immediately following Brown's death.

 

Thanks to hundreds of donations from individuals and groups, however, the pantry is now back up and running.

 

"Our parking lot was pretty much full with folks showing up and getting food," Lawler said Tuesday. "Today has been our best day yet for food distribution."

 

In addition, the church has been coordinating with other local churches and food pantries to make sure supplies get to the community, and it has sent sandwiches, bottled water, granola bars and other items to the site of the protests, about two miles away on West Florissant Avenue.

 

"There's just great people out doing all kinds of good things," Lawler said of the community's response.

 

Other groups have similarly stepped in to help families in the Ferguson area. On Saturday, a number of organizations, including the the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the St. Louis Area Foodbank, set up up a "community resource drop-in center" at the Dellwood community center.

 

Four-hundred boxes of food were distributed at the center on Saturday, according to Angelia Bills, vice president of communications for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. But food was only half the point. The organizers also set up supervised children's activities like a moon bounce, face painting, and sports like kickball, soccer and basketball. Parents could meet with counselors and local agencies while their kids played. Churches provided free shuttle rides from the Canfield Green apartments near the site of the shooting.

 

To read more, click here.