As 2020 started, we looked forward to having a year together in our new space. We’d co-created several well-funded ministry initiatives to nurture relationships with our Gilliam Place neighbors. Garden concerts and volunteering to be intake interviewers for new tenants were at the top of the list.
Rumors of the emerging epidemic began concerning everyone by early February. As March progressed, we experienced the gradual shuttering of in-person activities. Like many others, our in-person gatherings ceased by the middle of the month. Arlington Presbyterian Church prayed together as we met the unexpected and sought to be agile enough to respond to our neighbors in need.
Ministry in the pandemic brought out what we are good at doing: listening and responding. We listened for how the Spirit moved. We listened to our community and our partners. As a community seeking to be disciples with our neighbors, we weren’t going to let a pandemic define our ministry in 2020.
In May, we began hearing stories about food insecurity issues in Gilliam Place. We sought to be in prayerful discernment, listening to the Spirit and the community, looking for a way to support our neighbors at Gilliam Place. Through our connections in the neighborhood, we learned that the Community Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) was in discussion with local farmers. With farmers’ markets closed they’d lost a vital revenue stream.
Discussions were taking place about ways to bring their fresh produce to Gilliam Place residents. CPRO needed $3500/week to get the supplies from the farmer’s into the hands of residents. APC was able to raise almost $49,000 through a special offering which enabled the program to run from the end of May through September. Other community resources helped sustain it for an additional month.
Not only did we contribute financially to the program, but APC members helped distribute the produce for the Feed Our Families program out of our common garage space. This also enabled us to set up a free APC Gilliam Place “store” where donated diapers, hand soap, paper towels, wipes and more were also shared with residents. APC members made hundreds of hand-made cards and facemasks that we included in the produce boxes. If we couldn’t be there with the residents of Gilliam Place, we wanted to make sure they knew we cared for them.
As we continued to support Feed Our Families, we were approached by a group of former teachers and administrators. With Arlington public schools moving to an all–virtual format, the residents of Gilliam Place needed space for learning pods. Partnering with Edu-Futuro and City Center NOVA, we were able to sponsor the creation of a learning pod for seven students. As school went on, we were able to form a second pod after the Christmas Break with another eight students from Gilliam Place.
It may not have been how we thought our homecoming would look. However, ministry in the pandemic brought out what we are good at doing: listening and responding. We listened for how the Spirit moved. We listened to our community and our partners. As a community seeking to be disciples with our neighbors, we weren’t going to let a pandemic define our ministry in 2020. Sure, there were limits on how we could gather, but there are rarely limits on how we can care for and comfort our neighbors.
