Religion feature: Pastor organizes food drive

Pastor Bonita Knox believes all humans have a duty to share what they have with other humans abundantly.

CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Trinity Lutheran Church Pastor Bonita Knox of Clovis packs a basket Tuesday with cereal to donate to the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico.

For this reason, Knox organizes a food drive and a coin collection the first Sunday of every month of Trinity Lutheran Church-ELCA.

"I have chosen to make it a monthly expression so that we can always provide food to the hungry not only locally but nationally and globally," Knox said. "Each of us has a small part in sharing what God has given to us."

Donations can be dropped into large baskets near the baptismal font in the church. Knox said church members typically bring in canned foods, cereals and staples such as rice, pasta, rice and beans.

All donations are given to the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico to be distributed to those in need of a meal. According to Knox, Trinity Lutheran Church collected 98 pounds of food in March and 111 pounds of food in April. She said the church typically collects between 60 to 100 pounds every month.

Knox said her church welcomes people from all denominations and religions to attend her congregation and donate food and loose change.

"This is uniquely an expression of an evangelical Lutheran," Knox said. "We mean all when we say all and we protect that carefully. All are welcome."

Knox said her congregation keeps in mind weather-related disasters that affect the nation during the spring as it collects loose change in a benefit known as "Noisy Offerings." Knox said her church collects about $20 to $30 in loose change a month.

The church belongs to the Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that connects Lutherans from around the country to respond to natural and man-made disasters.

Church member Donald Mattingly said he attends service nearly every time the church doors open and believes it's beneficial to one's self, to the community, and to the world to give. Mattingly said he and his wife Beulah always donate canned food and change during the monthly benefit.

"By making a contribution to the food bank we just feel like we're helping the needy in Clovis and in other places a little," said Mattingly, a retired LPN nurse.

What: Trinity Lutheran Church-ELCA food drive

When: 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. first Sunday of every month

Where: Trinity Lutheran Church-ELCA ,1705 W. 21st St.

Donations accepted: Canned and dry food items

Information: 763-4816