Story by Evan Knott
The Living Word church in Glen Burnie, Md., in partnership with Priority Partners—a Johns Hopkins-affiliated organization that works to provide accessible health care in Maryland—recently held an inauguration ceremony for a new community food cupboard (pictured). Living Word is the 10th pantry location as part of the Priority Partners Cupboard Project.
The cupboard, which resembles a glass-door cabinet, is positioned at the front of the church and is accessible to anyone passing by. Stocked with nonperishable items such as canned goods, the cupboard allows community members to retrieve what they need, addressing immediate foodinsecurity needs.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Maryland delegates Mike Rogers and Mark Chang, who presented a citation from the Maryland General Assembly recognizing the partnership. The delegates praised the church for its consistent involvement in community initiatives.
Jeff Lerfield, CFO of Priority Partners, and Derrick Lea, director of Adventist Community Services for the North American Division, also attended the ceremony. Representatives from the Maryland Community Health System were also present. Jeff Kern, pastor of Living Word, said the cupboard aligns with the church’s ongoing community involvement through its Embrace ministry, which provides food assistance and operates a winter shelter. “There’s a lot of food insecurity around us,” Kern says, “and the church wants to be part of [the] solution.”