The Pine Street United Methodist Church has made a $3,000 donation to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

The church chose to designate its Lenten offering this year to the food bank. A group of church members and friends help pack boxes there the second Monday of each month.

“At Pine Street, we believe following Jesus means showing up for our neighbors,” said the pastor, the Rev. James Wooster Jr. “We want to be the kind of church that doesn’t just worship on Sunday but serves all week long.

“Our Lenten offering isn’t just about giving money — it’s about giving hope. The food bank does that every single day, and we’re honored to be a small part of it.

“This is more than a donation — it’s an extension of our calling to love like Jesus.”

Giving and serving go hand-in-hand, he said in reference to the group that volunteers at the food bank each month.

“The food bank is one of our long-term mission partners because we know real love meets real needs,” Wooster said. “Supporting the food bank is one of the ways we live that out.”

One of those volunteers, Barb Flock, said the monthly gatherings at the food bank have been a wonderful opportunity for fellowship not only with church members but with those in the community.

“Greater still,” she said, “has been the awareness we have all come to realize for the significant work this agency does to help those with food insecurities.

“We begin every afternoon by holding hands and praying for those who will be receiving our packed boxes as well as other needs.

“After an afternoon of packing 400 boxes, I couldn’t help but to feel extremely blessed knowing that my refrigerator and cupboards were stocked, I had the means to buy something I needed or the privilege of dining out if so desired.”

The 20 to 30 volunteers who meet monthly at the food bank fill boxes with food for military families, said James Burget.

The boxes are distributed locally to American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations where there is always a need by veterans, he said.