Melchizedek Priesthood leaders responsibility in our Stake Food Drive in September 2013

Dear Brethren,

There are two reasons we are very excited about the upcoming Stake Food Drive to be conducted as part of our Stake Day of Service on September 14.

First, other churches, not of our faith, are joining with us to participate in this faith-based, community food drive. The potential for a “fishes-and-loaves miracle” is very real. (See the letter to pastors that is being emailed to you for additional details.)

Second, the neighbor-to-neighbor element of this food drive provides all participants, especially our members, an easy, non-intimidating way to meet and invite their neighbors to join in this worthy cause. Many of our neighbors do not attend a church and seldom have the opportunity to give or serve. They will appreciate this opportunity and give generously.

Last year less than a third of our members participated in this food drive. We desire that many more enjoy this unique, out-reach opportunity of meeting and extending an invitation to their neighbors.

Will you please accept the assignment to insure all families assigned to your quorum or group are invited by their home teachers to participate in this food drive?

Hopefully the attached letter, addressed to home teachers, will be helpful in explaining their assignment. We ask you to distribute copies of that letter to your assigned home teaching companionships. Note this is an excellent opportunity for home teachers to invite less-active families to participate. Please don’t miss this opportunity!

Please take these steps in completing this assignment:

·   During the first two weeks of August, distribute the attached single-sheet letter to all home teachers asking them to contact their assigned families and get a count on how many grocery sacks they want for their neighbors and for their own personal use. We encourage all families to reach out to at least five or more neighbors.

·   By August 18, have the home teachers report to your presidency or group leadership the count of how many sacks each family is requesting. Report these counts to your assigned high councilor, who will give the counts to Ryan Pond, of the High Council.

·   On August 25, when the paper grocery sacks are delivered to you, begin distributing the sacks to the home teachers, based on their requested counts, and ask them to deliver the sacks to their families no later than Sunday, September 1. Instructions as to what members are to do with the grocery sacks will be included with each sack.

For your information, the filled grocery sacks are to be delivered between 8:00 and
9:00 am on Saturday, September 14, to any of the participating churches on the list. Then members are to go to the site of their ward’s service project(s) to continue our Day of Service activities.

In a show of neighborliness, we hope many of our members will deliver their filled grocery sacks to their nearest participating non-LDS church. A list of participating churches, with addresses, will be included in the instructions.

Brethren, please know that this is not just a food drive or service project.

This is an organized effort to provide our members an opportunity to meet and engage their neighbors. We hope lasting friendships will develop from this out-reach that will lead to improved relations with those of all faiths in our communities.

In this day of hastening, it’s more important than ever that we become involved in our communities “to be the light of this people.” (3 Nephi 12:14)