“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” – Psalm 118:24
These are the words we sing to open our Chapel on the Green service at 2pm on Sundays, for the worship service that is a prelude to serving as many as 150 lunches to people in need. It is amazing that this community so often leads with joy, in spite of the many challenges our Chapel on the Green parishioners face: housing and food insecurity, addiction, mental health struggles, isolation, and more. There is a core group of about 50 people who come to COTG’s worship service every week. Chapel on the Green is not simply an outreach program—these are Trinity parishioners. They are as much a part of our community as the people who sit in pews inside or pray with us from the livestream at home, and some of them have been a part of our community for over 17 years.
As we celebrate the 17th anniversary of Chapel on the Green, we also lament that members of this community are more vulnerable than ever due to federal decisions that have withheld, depleted, and seriously delayed money for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). At least 30,000 people in New Haven alone rely on SNAP to survive, including families with infants up to high school age. You likely know somebody who relies on SNAP, even if you don’t realize it. Our Chapel on the Green community is a visible representation of this population.
On November 1, approximately 25% of our Trinity parishioners did not receive the food stamps they rely on to feed themselves and their families. While courts have ordered the federal government to respond to this public health emergency by refunding the program, it remains unclear if, when, and to what extent these benefits will be restored. Local feeding programs such as the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK), Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, and even Chapel on the Green are scaling up to respond to this need—but these programs were always meant to fill a gap, not to be the sole source of food for people who experience poverty and structural inequality. At Chapel on the Green, the number of people we feed always goes up towards the end of the month as people run out of food stamps. At the moment, every Sunday is a "last Sunday of the month" scenario, and the need is growing every day.
People at Chapel on the Green will continue to sing their joy. May we each find a way to do the same, connecting with our gratitude for the life that God has given us, and using that gratitude as inspiration to help others. Join us at Chapel on the Green on any Sunday, at 2pm, especially this Sunday as we mark the 17th Anniversary of Chapel on the Green. Explore other ways of responding to the current SNAP crisis, as suggested below. And finally, join us this coming Sunday, November 9 at 10:30am for a special version of our Community Eucharist, which will bring elements from Chapel on the Green into the heart of our morning community worship. May we love our neighbors with the same kind of love that God has for us, a love that inspires joy and action.
In Hope,
The Rev. Luk De Volder, Rector
The Rev. Heidi Thorsen, Associate Rector
Lisa Levy, Community Care Minister
How to Help with the Current Food Crisis
Give Food – each week, Trinity takes a collection of non-perishable food items at the door, as a literal and symbolic reminder of our commitment to feeding those who are hungry. An even more helpful way of feeding others is by donating to a feeding ministry of your choice. Soup kitchens and food pantries are able to purchase subsidized food at bulk pricing, which helps every dollar and cent go further. Give to our partner organizations, including:
Spread the Word – share your concern with friends and family, and consider sending a letter to your local legislators to let them know that the work of churches and food pantries is not enough to cover the need that we see on a daily basis. The Coordinated Food Access Network (CFAN) has created a helpful script with guidance about how to contact Governor Lamont today >>
Support other Basic Needs – while soup kitchens and food pantries are especially designed for wide-scale food assistance, Chapel on the Green has a unique role to play by providing spiritual support and companionship. We can also fill in the gaps for basic needs that are not provided by food pantries. Consider contributing to one of the following:
Laundry Love - Trinity’s Laundry Love program provides vouchers for people to do a free load of laundry (one wash and one dry, and the laundromat provides the detergent) at a local laundromat. A load of laundry costs Trinity approximately $8.50, and we are only able to keep this program going because of the generous donations of individuals, volunteer groups, and grants. Give to Laundry Love >>
Sleeping Bag Drive - There are currently 1,196 unhoused people living in Greater New Haven. With 346 people on a months-long waitlist for a shelter bed, and budget cuts impacting the number of warming centers this winter, many of our COTG parishioners will have no option but to live outside. Give the gift of warmth this Christmas by dropping off new or gently used water-resistant, rated-for-winter sleeping bags in a marked bin in the Narthex, Nov. 30 through Dec. 21. All online donations to COTG during Advent will go towards a bulk purchase of additional sleeping bags.
Pray for Us, Pray with Us – we believe it makes a difference whenever we open our hearts to God. Keep our Chapel on the Green community in your daily prayers, and pray with us any Sunday at 2pm, behind the church (or inside the narthex, in case of extreme weather).
