Epworth’s sprawling food ministry includes four divisions, two for food donations and two for food distribution. Donations are divided into shelf-stable and fresh produce, which our volunteers rescue and sort. Mike Tyler is the Inviting Ministries Lay Leader, which includes Epworth’s Food Ministry.
In 2025 through November, our Good Sam Intake volunteers received, weighed, and shelved 46,790 pounds of dry and canned goods from groups, area businesses, and individuals in and beyond our congregation. Dotti Outland leads this ministry.
In that same period, our five Food Rescue Triage teams and drivers sorted 369,000 pounds of fresh fruits and veggies that otherwise would have been thrown away, not only for our neighbors who receive food at Epworth, but for a dozen other food pantries in the area. Maureen Knesel leads this ministry.
On Sundays at noon, five different Food and Love Teams have been faithfully preparing and serving lunch to our neighbors since we moved into this facility in 2011. Five years ago, during the COVID quarantine, we marked our 500th continuous Sunday of serving lunch each week (we gave out boxed lunches during the quarantine). In 2025 to date, Food and Love ministry teams (one of which is staffed by the Seaside Jewish Community) have welcomed 3,560 of our neighbors to the table for Sunday lunch. Dotti Outland leads this ministry.
Every Sunday from 1-3 pm, Tuesday from 10 to noon, and Thursday from 2-4 pm, our Good Sam Mobile Pantry volunteers have throughout 2025 served 14,700 of our neighbors. On December 7, we acknowledged and thanked several persons who write notes of encouragement to each person who received a bag of groceries through the Good Sam Mobile Pantry. David Streit leads this ministry.