Churches Celebrate Easter By Providing A Matching Fund For Hays County Food Bank

The Easter Impact Campaign is an initiative of local Hays County churches to match dollar donations to Hays County Food Bank up to $18,050 from April 12 to April 26, in response to the urgent food needs rising in the local community during the Coronavirus crisis.  

“While churches cannot come together in our sanctuaries this Easter, we can come together in sharing Christ’s love with our community,” officials said in a release. “In an effort to come together as the larger church, to create community among our members, and to build friendship among the community of faith, a group of local churches have launched the Easter Impact Matching Gift Campaign.”

The fund will be used to match gifts that come in through the various church participants and the broader community in Hays County.

Hays County Food Bank was forced to modify distributions and operations in order to accommodate the new protocols enacted from the COVID-19 response.

Food rescue has halted because of the lack of food at grocery stores, volunteers are fewer due to the restrictions of gatherings and shelter-in-place order, and food donations, in general, are down.

Distributions have been reduced to one per major city in Hays County and clients are allowed to pick up once per week. The food bank has seen new households in need more than double from the previous months.

“Christians are a resurrection people,” said Rev. Joshua Sutherlun, of First Presbyterian Church of San Marcos. “We believe that life comes from despair, from hopelessness, from grief, from death. This Easter we wanted our community to know that we believe that hope and life will rise from this crisis and not just for our churches, but for everyone who lives here.”  

“Every dollar makes a huge impact in feeding our neighbors,” says Rev. Todd Salmi of the United Campus Ministry at Texas State. He continued, “Our students donated matching funds raised earlier in the semester to encourage other students to make an Easter donation to the Food Bank.”  

“The food bank is working tirelessly to continue providing food assistance to anyone in need in the Hays County area, both those affected by the shelter-in-place order and those who rely on our services regardless of the current situation. Your donation can help us continue to do good work here and keep our community fed. We are so grateful to our community for their generosity and support,” said food bank Executive Director, Eleanor Owen-Oshan.

Area churches will match up to $18,050 of funds donated to Hays County Food Bank over the next two weeks.  Donate can be made at https://bit.ly/DonateHFB. To participate in the Easter campaign, under “Donor Intent” select Easter Impact. 

Churches Involved: First Presbyterian Church of San Marcos. First Baptist Church of San Marcos. United Campus Ministry at Texas State.  First United Methodist Church of San Marcos. Sozo Church. Solid Rock Church. Promiseland Church. Wayfinders Church. San Marcos Community Church. Sinai Pentecostal Church, Hill Country Christian Church.