As you enter St. James Lutheran Church in Belle Fourche, you will find a shopping cart with a sign reading, “Compassion Cupboard Donations,” in the hallway. For six weeks, food items were donated from church members and church attendees, filling this shopping cart week after week. The church also received a Thrivent Grant to purchase $250.00 worth of groceries, which were delivered to the Compassion Cupboard.
With recent federal aid cuts, the Compassion Cupboard, a food pantry in Belle Fourche, was in dire need of food staples, including cereal, flour, sugar, and canned goods. Over 200 families in this local community utilize the food pantry every month. St. James Lutheran saw a need and took action by collecting and delivering over ten full shopping carts. The shelves at the local pantry are now full. “Seeing the families and residents come to get essential food items (at no cost to them) gives us a smile and is so heartwarming,” commented one volunteer.
“Our church is so generous. The food drive exceeded our expectations,” according to church member Linda Stambaugh, who chairs the Mission & Evangelism Committee. She shared that, in addition to the cart donations, the church congregation made a monetary donation of $1,200.00, which was directly given to the Compassion Cupboard to fill the empty shelves.
The Ministerial Board operates the Compassion Cupboard, and volunteers from local churches work weekly to keep the food pantry open and assist people who visit. The food pantry is open to everyone, and families can receive food given by the community.
In Luke 3:10, John the Baptist tells the crowd, “If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” If you would like to donate to the Compassion Cupboard and help those in need, please contact your local church leader or visit the Compassion Cupboard, located at 522 5th Avenue, Belle Fourche, South Dakota 57717, to drop off your donations. The Compassion Cupboard is open Tuesdays, 9:00 a.m. to noon, and Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Read the full issue of the Belle Fourche Beacon by clicking here.
