‘Blitz’ to have 20+ projects
“We have 20 to 22 projects going on,” said Jane Currin, CUMC missions director.
This will be the 10th year the church has been involved in Mission Blitz, which coincides in observance of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 15.
“When I switched from youth ministry to full-time missions, I wanted to do something that we could involve a large number of the congregation and missions at the same time during Martin Luther King weekend,” Currin said. “So, we came up with the idea of Mission Blitz as a way of honoring his legacy and calling our members to be involved, hands-on, in serving, reaching out and loving our community by challenging ourselves to serve others and step forward to make a difference in our community.
Their help includes “activities at (East Tennessee) Children’s Hospital (among) lots of different ways of serving the community,” Currin said.
The Blitz also provides a way to “teach our children and families — people of all ages — about serving and making a difference,” she said.
Friday afternoon, Jan. 12, and Saturday morning, Jan. 13, “we have 40,000 pounds of sweet potatoes coming in” for the Crop Drop, Currin said.
Church members will be preparing those sweet potatoes, donated by area farmers, for donation to area food banks.
“We have a grant that we’re going to (use to) make 500 bags of Tennessee taco soup mix that will go to local pantries,” she said. “It’s a recipe we adapted, a dry soup mix. We also will be able to supply the pantries the canned corn and hamburger that goes with it, so (recipients) have the complete meal.”
Currin said the mixes will go to several food pantries, including Shepherd of Hope at Faith Lutheran Church in Farragut and Good Samaritan Center in Lenoir City.
She said CUMC members also are making Operation Inasmuch meal packets, which will go to at least 12 pantries.
“We’re packing 20,000 meals with that on two different days; so there’s actually 40,000 meals,” said Currin, adding one meal is oatmeal with apple cinnamon bits while the other is pasta with tomato sauce.
Members also will be building picnic tables, which will go to a couple of agencies or schools; praying over beds at Knox Area Rescue Mission; working with Habitat for Humanity; making Linus blankets and many other projects.
