About a year ago I wrote to the community asking if we cared about the hungry and needy in our midst.

I invited you to participate in a campaign called “Harvest for the Hungry,” and I asked that you help us raise enough funds to stock the Downtown Churches Food Pantry for a year.

We began collecting on Harvest for the Hungry Sunday, October 24, 2010, and received your donations throughout the fall.

When the new year dawned, you had generously provided enough support so that we have not had to come to the community again for donations.

We were so moved by your generous outpouring of support that we have felt led to attempt to expand on the services of the pantry, and have begun plans to construct a facility to house the operation. In providing more space for the pantry we can provide more service to help the needy in our community.

Now we are coming to you again for the purpose of raising support for the pantry.

On Oct. 16 we will observe Harvest for the Hungry Sunday with a special worship service at First United Methodist Church. We will be receiving gifts from various groups from within the church and within the community.

At the time of presentation of our gifts and tithes we will encourage worshippers to deposit their gifts for the pantry in the copper kettle which will be placed in the sanctuary.

We invite any person, or group who is so moved to come and share with us in this harvest.

As we sing the old hymn, “Bringing in the Sheaves,” we will be presenting our harvest for the benefit of the hungry and in obedience to Jesus’ command that we love one another by providing for the physical needs of His children.

All the social commentators predict that the economy is in for a long hard recovery and the needs of the unemployed and underemployed will continue to grow.

We believe that together we can go a long way toward relieving the despair of the hungry, but we must work together in a spirit of Christian love and concern.

On Harvest for the Hungry Sunday we will once more begin our collection for the Downtown Churches Food Pantry, and we offer this event as a focus on the problem.

There are many needs in our community, and we campaign as an opportunity to reach out to those in need.

Jesus said, “Insofar as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me.”

Please take this opportunity to reach out in love and generosity to those who need you.

The Rev. Dr. Wayne Young is pastor at First United Methodist Church in Ironton.