Ministerium offers services to local families

The Keyport Ministerium Food Pantry is sponsored by 10 or more Bayshore area churches, namely Calvary United Methodist Church, Reformed Church of Keyport, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, St. John’s United Methodist Church, Faith Reformed Church of Hazlet, First Baptist Church of Keyport, Grace United Methodist Church of Union Beach and Second Baptist Church of Keyport.

The Keyport Ministerium Food Pantry receives its aid in food and clothing and is sponsored by all the above-named churches as well as The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean County. For the past three years, we have also received a $1,000 grant each year from United Airlines, and food from children of the Holy Family School. All of this enables us to register and help 176 families who are entitled to obtain help on a monthly basis. We usually help 90 or more families each month. Mayor Kevin Graham of Keyport is always ready to help our food pantry remain in operation in Keyport.

The Keyport Ministerium is open two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:30 a.m., and is run by its director, O. John Red of Gethsemane Lutheran Church; the associate director, Marjorie Conway; and the registrar, Isaiah Cooper. All our volunteer workers are from the above-named parishes and the El Mesias Methodist Church.

Further, and most important, we realize the dire financial problems the Calvary United Methodist Church of Keyport is having and, as a result, we are obliged to reimburse the church $150 per month for the use of its space and utilities.

O. John Reed

Keyport Ministerium Food Pantry