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Illinois Hunters Feed the Hungry
Dear Meat
Outreach and discipleship programs for men range from sports to Bible study. Eastview Christian Church (Normal, Illinois) encourages friendships and growth among its men through a “Sportsmen” ministry, and in the process feeds thousands of needy families each year.
The Eastview Christian Sportsmen welcome men from a variety of local congregations—in fact, more than 500 men representing more than 50 area churches currently receive ECS e-mails. With its mission to “encourage and empower sportsmen to discover and develop a deep passion for Jesus Christ in the context of outdoor adventure,” the group organizes hunting and fishing outings, special events for families, and even certification workshops and educational clinics.
Despite this busy schedule, the group’s leaders created a unique “First Fruits Harvest” service opportunity. Each season, deer hunters donate a portion of their harvest; local packing plants process the meat and distribute it to food banks.
“Even in wealthier counties like ours, many families regularly have to choose between paying the electric bill and buying food,” says Quinton Koch, the program’s coordinator. “Yet they don’t qualify for public assistance. With a food bank, everyone who shows up with a need can get food.”
However, these provisions are often limited to dry goods and other nonperishables; meat can be too expensive to provide regularly.
ECS raises the money to process each deer. State Farm Insurance is one of the biggest corporate sponsors of the program, donating $10,000 to help cover the $70 per deer processing fee.
The finished one-pound packages of ground meat go directly to the Midwest Food Bank which distributes the meat to 500 local agencies. Hunters donated 12,000 pounds of venison last year—almost 60,000 meals—and in 2007 the initiative expanded to include beef and pork donated by area farmers.
www.eastviewmen.com
Strategic Move
Atlanta Christian College recently announced plans to relocate from its current campus in the city of East Point, Georgia, home to the school for 70 years. After a two-year strategic planning process, the board of trustees voted unanimously to find a new location for the campus, citing future growth and a need for new facilities.
Over the next five to 10 years, the school plans to triple its current enrollment of 400 students; an evaluation of the current campus indicated this level of growth would necessitate a move.
“This conclusion was based on multiple factors, such as the significant cost of renovation, which would involve demolishing and rebuilding some structures,” ACC reported. “Other factors include the topography of the campus, as well as the residential use of immediately surrounding land, which leaves little room for expansion.”
The college will work with officials in East Point to determine future use of its current property, but plans to offer classes there for at least the next year and estimates a two- to four-year timeline for the move. No new location has been chosen for the school.
Find more news about the relocation, and read biweekly updates from ACC’s president and its board chairman, at www.acc.edu.
Jennifer Taylor, one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD's contributing editors, lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
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