In the community
WIUC Outreach
Wayside Community Meals
UPDATE 9/20/2023: Wayside Community Meals continues to meet in the parking lot on Forest Avenue, just west of (down the hill from) Congress Square Plaza, on the back side of the Westin Hotel, which offers subsidized housing to Seniors. Meals are available for takeaway from 1:30-2:30 pm.
WIUC has a strong outreach ministry from within the church family to Portland neighborhoods and greater community, and even more broadly to those within the state, nation, and world.
Ministering—Serving others in things both small and large, the Pastor, while being the front-line of Ministry, is not the only one who ministers to those in need.
What a joy it has been to arrive at our church, open the front door (so long closed due to safety concerns for all), set up a large table on our front steps, pile on the prepared and packaged meals from Wayside Food Programs, and greet our growing clientele of people who stop by to enjoy and benefit from these nutritious and tasty meals. There is no attendance taken or records kept—just friendly smiles (behind masks, of course), greetings, and warm well-wishes to whoever happens by each Thursday afternoon between 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm.
We are blessed to welcome some who visit weekly and some who just happen to be walking down the street. We have been giving out about 50 meals each week, assisted by regular Wayside Volunteers.
All in all, it is a totally pleasant and meaningful way to reach out to people in our community in partnership with Wayside Food Programs.