Saturday Market Newsletter August 3

“Abundance” is the best word to describe the donated produce we received from the Farmer’s Market patrons and vendors on July 27.  When the first round of volunteers from our church, First Baptist of Murfreesboro on Main Street, set up our booth on Saturday, we hoped we could fill 5 storage buckets with produce community members would purchase from the market and then donate to us. Our goal was to take any donated food to The Journey Home, a local non-profit that works with those struggling with food insecurity.  The Journey Home serves breakfast and lunch daily and can turn fresh produce into delicious meals for many.  Over the course of the Market day, we had such a wonderful time talking with people from the community, explaining why we were there, and inviting them to donate a little extra.  To our surprise, 5 baskets was not nearly enough!  The community’s gifts were overflowing; vendors gave so generously.  The gifts were so great that we filled not 5 baskets but 5 truck-loads of food to deliver to The Journey Home.  Before we even left their building, Journey Home volunteers were cutting up cantaloupes for lunch and passing out groceries to their clients.  What a wonderful reminder of the way community can care for one another.  A little care from here and there adds up to an abundance that supplies the work of feeding neighbors, ensures food is not wasted, and supports local businesses.  A huge “thank you” to the Farmer’s Market community.  We will be back on August 24 and hope to see you then. Heather Burke-FBC