This Sunday, our UU community will gather for our annual Thanksgiving Potluck Luncheon — a time to celebrate gratitude, connection, and the abundance we create together. As we share food and fellowship, we also have an opportunity to extend that abundance beyond our walls. This year, we invite everyone to bring two kinds of offerings:

1. A dish to share at our potluck table
2. Non-perishable foods to help fill our Little Free Pantry for neighbors in need

Many in our community struggle to afford the ingredients that make a Thanksgiving meal feel special. By bringing items such as canned vegetables, boxed stuffing, soups, broths, baking mixes, or other shelf-stable holiday favorites, you can help ensure that local families can prepare a warm and comforting holiday meal of their own.

The Little Free Pantry has become a quiet but vital source of support for those who pass by our church. During the holidays, demand grows — and so does the impact of every contribution we make.

Let’s fill our tables on Sunday, and let’s also fill the pantry with generosity, compassion, and the true spirit of Thanksgiving. Come with a dish to share, and leave knowing you’ve helped share the holiday with others.

UUCS has joined hands with Growing Neighbors and now has a Little Free Pantry onsite.

Growing Neighbors is an initiative of Shadle Park Presbyterian Church. John Edmondson, Growing Neighbors Director, provided the guidance and information to assist in this endeavor. The pantry was donated (built by a volunteer woodworker).

This past week John, along with UUCS Operations Team member Julieann Morse, delivered and helped install this well-built and nice looking Little Free Pantry (LFP). It is all about helping neighbors grow and share healthy food and relationships. Treating neighbors, we may never meet more like family. The following signage will be added to the pantry:

Take what you need.
Give what you can.
Growing Neighbors builds, fills and supports
Little Free Pantries.

2nd Harvest no longer picks up our donated food items. They prefer to have cash donations from small local organizations. Since we still have neighbors requesting support. We will now collect food donations from members who are able to do so and restock the pantry with items listed below. Please place donations in either the donation box in the foyer or directly into the food pantry!

Most Needed Items for the Little Free Pantry

• Fruits and Vegetables
  • Canned fruits and vegetables
  • Canned or boxed juices
  • Boxed mashed potatoes
  • Dried fruit

• Proteins
  • Peanut butter
  • Canned meat (ham, chicken, tuna, etc.)
  • Hearty soups (chili, stews, etc.)
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Boxed dinners
  • Beans (kidney, pinto, navy, black, refried, etc.)

• Grains
  • Pasta
  • Rice
  • Healthy cereals (low sugar and fat)
  • Flour
  • Baking mixes
  • Stuffing mixes
  • Oatmeal
  • Cream of wheat