The Rehoboth Beach area is fortunate to have many residents and businesses graciously donating food to various organizations. Then the CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) partners with others in the community to pick up the ball and play an important part in taking the next step towards serving sustenance—and love—to those in need in the community.
Recently a team of 12 CROP volunteers met at the Food Bank of Delaware in Milford. They made quick work of sorting some non-food items, then got to work sorting and packing a few mountains of donated food items for further distribution throughout Delaware.
The Food Bank’s mission is to provide nutritious foods to Delawareans in need and facilitate long-term solutions to the problems of hunger and poverty through community education and advocacy. The Food Bank distributes food through a network of 536 hunger relief partners, including food closets, soup kitchens, shelters, daycares, schools, and other non-profits. Last year, the Food Bank received over 9 million pounds of food, with 1.5 million pounds distributed to Sussex County.
Having CROP volunteers participate along with others in the community furthers the work of CAMP Rehoboth by uniting individuals and groups in creating a better community.
But CROP wasn’t yet finished serving love! Volunteers also cooked and served a meal to international students at a dinner hosted weekly at Epworth United Methodist Church. CROP’s involvement with the program, which Epworth runs in conjunction with the International Student Outreach Program (ISOP), gave regular weekly volunteers from Epworth a much-needed break.
ISOP’s mission is to create a hospitable community that welcomes and provides a safe environment for international students by offering meals, transportation, emergency assistance, and fellowship, as well as promoting cultural understanding. Weekly dinners are held at Epworth on Tuesdays all summer. This project also provides an opportunity for interaction among young people from many different countries. Epworth served 2,800 meals in 2017 and amassed 3,800 volunteer hours in the process.
CROP plays an important role in the community, along with so many other individuals and organizations who all come together to serve love! ▼
Debbie is an active volunteer with CAMP Rehoboth and also serves on the Membership Committee. She has lived full time in Rehoboth since 2009, when she retired after a long career in the Federal Government.