Serve Locally

Salem partners with the Bethel United Methodist Church food ministry by collecting non-perishable goods for their pantry. Suggested items for donation are below.

Canned Foods

  • corn
  • peas
  • sweet potatoes
  • yams
  • green beans
  • spinach
  • mustard greens
  • collard greens
  • baked beans
  • spaghetti
  • carrots
  • salmon
  • other meat items
  • cranberry sauce and all kinds of fruit

 

Boxed and Dried Foods

  • breakfast cereals
  • stuffing
  • macaroni and cheese
  • cornbread
  • cake mix and frosting
  • pancake mix
  • dry noodles
  • Ramen Noodles
  • instant potatoes
  • rice
  • spaghetti
  • black eyed peas
  • and
  • all kinds of beans

Salem members serve as tutors, Pen-Pals with the third grade classes, and reading helpers with Kindergarten through fourth graders. Also, the Salem Family supports Thomas Jefferson with Box Tops for Education, food baskets for families at Christmas, and lifting them in prayer.

Lutheran Social Services (LSSI) could use the general pandemic supplies for their staff and disadvantaged clients:

– Soap (for hand washing)
– Hand Sanitizer
– Disinfectant Wipes
– Gloves
– Surgical Masks
– Fever Strips
– Small packets of alcohol wipes

And we do know the scarcity of disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and cleaning products, perhaps you might be willing to provide:

– Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol (60% or stronger) and paper towels to disinfect surfaces
– Diluted Bleach (1/3 cup bleach with 1 gallon water), in spray bottles and paper towels to disinfect surfaces.
– Homemade masks for staff to use.

We also know that some may become desolate for food, so grocery gift cards would also be very welcomed.

Here is the Amazon Wish List for the Agency needs.

Midwest Food Bank seeks to alleviate hunger and poverty by delivering food and disaster relief free of charge. Salem organizes a group to serve at Midwest Food Bank four times per year.

Peoria Division:  MFB Peoria is part of a community collaboration named HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) that helps those who are shut-in due to COVID 19.  People  in need call 211 for help, and the United Way and the Tazewell County Health Department coordinate volunteers to deliver food.  MFB Peoria provides the food boxes and a bag of fresh produce for the recipients.  It’s a great example of community services working together to serve.
 
Morton Division:  The COVID-19 crisis has created an increased demand for Tender Mercies, the packaged meal of rice, beans and chicken flavored seasoning produced at MFB Morton.  Other Midwest Food Bank locations are requesting more of the meals at the requests of their partner agencies.  Unable to be assembled by hand at this time, the packing machine is getting a workout.  Production is running at three to four times the normal rate.
 
New MFB location planned in Pennsylvania
With plans to serve Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, a new MFB division will open in the Hershey, PA area.  ‘In Pennsylvania, one in eight households are food insecure,’ says David Kieser, CEO and President of MFB.  ‘It is our hope to show the love of Christ to those in need in that area.’  The Pennsylvania Division will be the ninth domestic location for MFB.  The warehouse will be strategically located to also serve New Jersey and New York, aligning with MFB’s existing remote distribution in New York City.  Lord willing, MFB Pennsylvania will be operational this summer.

Crittenton Centers’ mission is to protect and nurture children and families. One of the ways the Center fulfills its mission is through a community garden. Salem helps support the garden by helping with preparing, planting, and harvesting.

Salem is beginning a new season of involvement with the Crittenton Centers’ Community  Garden. Over the years, Salem has been a committed partner in the planning and implementation of the garden, and helpful hands have planted, tended, and harvested delicious produce that has served the families and staff at Crittenton as well as the feeding ministry work at Bethel United.

Right now, Crittenton Centers’ needs are diapers, formula, wipes and basic need baby supplies. Currently, Crittenton is offering curbside donations twice a week to the public. Both days this week they gave away 7-8 times what they would normally distribute in one day. So, their “stock” of items being depleted quickly!

There is an online Walmart baby registry with items on it that can be purchase and shipped right to Crittenton’s doors. Jeff Gress is in the building Monday-Friday 10-4pm to accept donations at the front doors of Crittenton.

Here is the Walmart Crisis Nursary link

Common Place Family Learning Center’s mission is to eliminate the root causes of poverty, racism, and injustice through education. Salem partners with Common Place through career mentoring with high school students and young adults.

As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to care for our neighbors. We have “Called to Care” Sundays on the first Sunday of the month. On these Sundays, we bring either specific items identified for that Sunday or non-perishable food items, and offer these gifts to God in our worship. Our Sunday school families bring them forward during the offertory. The items are taken to various mission and faith-based organizations in the Peoria area.

The Center for Prevention of Abuse exists to help all people—women, men and children—live free from violence and abuse. Salem serves the center every November by hosting a “pajama party.” Salem members donate pajamas, personal care products and cash donations to help those suffering abuse.