Pastor David Soden

The Evangelical Ministerial Alliance of Lehigh Acres (EMA) has announced that it will hold a community Thanksgiving event on Sunday night, Nov. 22. The site of the service has not yet been chosen but members of the ministerial group said this past week that in addition to devotional services, they are asking those who attend to bring food with them that will be given to the Lehigh soup kitchen at Christ United Methodist Church. They said those attending may also bring money to be given to the food kitchen to purchase food.

Pastor David Soden said due to the high unemployment rate in Lehigh and the many people who have lost their homes, there is an urgent need to help to feed those in Lehigh who want a free hot meal in the middle of the day.

Pastor Michael Porzio said the subject of holding a Community Thanksgiving event came up at the August meeting and that now the organization wants to put together plans for the participating ministers and how the Thanksgiving service will be held. It may be held at Veterans Park Community site or another location if the community center is not available, Soden said.

“One of the main things we need to remember is to help our brothers and sisters in need in this community,” Soden said. “We are asking everyone to bring food that can be given to the Our Daily Bread mission.

The EMA held a Good Friday service at Veterans Park in the spring and several clergy and lay people carried a heavy cross from the parking lot at Wal-Mart to the park. More than 200 attended the ceremony.

“We are hoping God will lead people to come to our Thanksgiving event. The food kitchen being held in the fellowship hall of the Christ United Methodist Church is open five days a week. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26 and the food kitchen will be closed, but like in later years, there will be some type of Thanksgiving dinner for those who come to get a meal.

Different churches in Lehigh help to support the food kitchen and Soden said each day there is a large group of people eating there.

“We just want to do the work of Jesus and help to feed our neighbors who are having a rough time,” he said.

Two men who are employed by the U.S. Census Bureau were on hand for the Sept. 10 monthly meeting and explained ways the upcoming census of 2010 will be held and asked the ministers to pass the information onto their congregations.