MO Food Ministries: Feeding Hunger, Growing Connection
“If we didn’t attend Wednesday Meals, I’m not sure we would have met your family and discovered that you live just two blocks away. That’s exactly why we decided to come here, to build community and connections closer to where we live.” ~ From one parent to another at the Wednesday meal
An invitation for you to be a part of an amazing ministry…
Something sacred happens when people gather around a table. As Mount Olivet fully lives into our mission, we invite you to prayerfully consider joining in a $25,000 spring appeal to ensure we have the capacity to maintain and expand our food ministries.
If you recall, in our 2026 appeal, we set our sights on three primary initiatives:
1. Open Hearts – to expand our food ministries
2. Open Doors – to transform our community room into a versatile place of welcome
3. Open Arms – to deepen partnerships, making us more responsive to community needs
While our pledges did not entirely meet the scope of our original plans, we feel called to focus our energy on our food ministries. Now, one-time gifts totaling $25,000 will allow us to fully implement the Open Hearts initiative. Amid the strain and uncertainty of our world, Mount Olivet has responded – with compassion, steadiness, and a clear commitment to love our neighbors. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this congregation.
Your gift will help alleviate hunger!
Our food ministries feed a deeper hunger, not only hunger for food, but hunger for connection, recognition, and belonging. You may give online here to support the spring appeal.
Monday Community Meal
In partnership with Loaves & Fishes, we prepare a free and nutritious meal served to all people, without exception. So far in 2026, we have served an average of 162 meals on Monday nights, including a recent all-time high of 212! Many of our neighbors receive their meal to go, often bringing food back to family members or sharing it with others. We honor that need.
Now we imagine a next step – offering an open invitation to stay and dine in community for those who wish, providing an opportunity for connection when it feels right.
Wednesday Dinners
On Wednesday evenings, our congregation gathers for a shared meal before worship and faith formation. Right now, this meal primarily serves Mount Olivet members, many of whom already attend Wednesday worship and faith formation. But the meal is becoming something more.
We are seeing relationships form across generations. Children recognize one another. Parents make connections. A sense of community is taking root. One young participant, just six years old, recently pointed with excitement and exclaimed…
“Daddy, those are my friends!”
We envision our Wednesday meal becoming an even greater intergenerational gathering space, bridging our Sunday and Wednesday communities as we expand opportunities for adult faith formation. In time, we imagine this table growing wider, welcoming neighbors from beyond our congregation. In addition, we continue working to source food from sustainable farmers, artisans, and markets with the goal of creating a more sacred food system that stewards our natural resources responsibly.
Why does Food Ministries at Mount Olivet matter?
By supporting Mount Olivet food ministries, you address not only hunger itself, but the inequities that determine who eats well and who goes without. You break down the social and economic barriers that keep too many families from nourishing meals. You alleviate isolation and strengthen community bonds.
We invite you to join this work by donating to our spring appeal. Together, with gifts of all sizes above regular giving, whether $2,500, $250, or $25, we will raise the $25,000 to make this possible.
You may give online here or send a check to the church, specifying “food ministries” in the memo line.
With gratitude and hope,
Desirée Uhrich, Lead Pastor
Lauren Schroeder, President
Wally Palm, Vice President
Deb McDonald, Treasurer
Joe Himmelberg, Secretary