’Feeding the 5000’ campaign is launched at St Christopher’s
‘The Larder’ food bank in St Christopher’s, Mersey Street, Inner East Belfast, has held a ‘Feeding the 5000 Day’ and launched a campaign to gather 5000 signatures to present to MLAs and MPS.
The 5000 signatures will be handed over to remind local politicians that words like compassion, generosity and kindness are valid motivations when making policy.
Fish Finger sandwiches and tasty soup and bread were on the lunch menu on 1 December, echoing the familiar Bible story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
MLAs Chris Lyttle (Alliance), Sammy Douglas (DUP), Belfast City Councillor, John Kyle (PUP) and Bishop Harold were present for the launch, along with leaders of local community agencies, clergy and food bank volunteers.
‘The Larder’ is a ministry of St Christopher’s Church, which has sprung back into life after being closed in 2011. In the first week of November 2015, The Larder gave out emergency food to its 5000th person in under three years and the idea for the campaign was born.
Revd Adrian McCartney, who leads the Christian Community there and oversees The Larder said:
“The vision for The Larder was always, not that we would just redistribute food, but that we would find ways for people to enjoy the privilege of that little boy in the Bible story who was able to share.
“No matter what joy people have in receiving the food it’s only half the story. The joy that others have in collecting it and giving it away is equally transforming.”
Adrian noted that when the 5000 had had enough they stopped and there were leftovers.
“How do we learn as a society live within enough rather than grab more so that others end up without enough? he asked.
“We want to sign our names to the idea that there is enough to share, if we could find ways to share it, but it requires changes of attitudes and that’s what our 5000 signatures are about.”
Bishop Harold commended the campaign and said:
“It really is not acceptable that we can’t organise our society in such a way that everybody is fed, and all of us have to take responsibility for that. It really is great that The Larder is raising the issue in this creative way.
Please take action now by signing the online petition at change.org
View a small photo gallery here.
Pictured below, about to catch a fish finger sandwich: John Kyle (PUP Councillor Belfast City Council) Sammy Douglas MLA (DUP), Revd Adrian McCartney, Bishop Harold Miller and Chris Lyttle MLA (Alliance)