The Juneau (Alaska) Church family supports their community by volunteering at the Glory Hole, a local soup kitchen/homeless shelter. Every fourth Sunday of the month, volunteers participate by helping to prepare and serve the dinner meal.
Since the ministry began in 2009, the church family has donated and prepared all the food on the Sundays when they serve. Members interact and pray with residents as well as sing with them before serving the meal.
In addition, church members work three plots in the local community garden, where this year they grew garlic, carrots and potatoes. When the food was ready, children from the church harvested the bounty, a portion of which was donated to the Glory Hole. The goal of their outreach is not only to serve food, but to pass on the message of the Bread of Life — Jesus — who came to save the lost. He has blessed the church family with so much, and they want to pass on the blessings of hope to those around them.
A service of the Juneau Cooperative Christian Ministry, the Glory Hole is designed to help those in need and provides a wide spectrum of services. Its purpose statement says, “In response to God’s commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves, the mission of the Glory Hole is to provide food, shelter and compassion to achieve physical and spiritual well-being for those most in need.” In addition to meals and emergency shelter, they offer transportation assistance, clothing, social service referrals, housing assistance, mental health services, counseling as well as other services.
Juneau Church members serve Thanksgiving dinner at a local homeless shelter.
Children from the Juneau Church harvest food from the community garden for a local homeless shelter.
The Adventist Church plot at the Juneau Community Garden is managed by Joey Barnes and Mark Woodworth and provides for a local homeless shelter.
