Thank you to our community on behalf of Harvest of Talents

To the editor:

As we think of those in great need of a nutritious meal and news of the Savior, we are so grateful for the Harvest of Talents ministry in cooperation with International Disaster Emergency Service ~ with the talents, time, and resources you give, God is multiplying it all, answering prayers of the hungry, and making hope come alive! Our tag line is “building bridges of hope in Jesus’ name, since 1984”, and, for 38 years, we can testify to God’s faithfulness and blessings. Since the pandemic, we understand that world hunger is greater than ever in our Harvest history!

And, so, on behalf of the Harvest Ministry Team and many, many terrific volunteers, I want to THANK YOU for your support of this year’s Harvest activities! It was so nice to have our mayor, Tracy Welch, and the I.D.E.S. staff & families join us in welcoming you back in person! Thank you for visiting our website, www. harvestoftalents.org,  using H.O.T. plates on your car, enjoying the Spring Tea Party-to-Go, using our 30-Days-of-Prayer devotional calendar, purchasing our famous vegetable beef soup and cinnamon & caramel pecan rolls, hearty sandwiches, homemade snacks, candies, baked goods, jams, and artisan treats. Thank you for joining in the fun on our Facebook page for updates and silent auctions. Thank you for shopping our handcrafted items and staying for our live auction with Mike Maske. Some of the handmade items are sure to become family heirlooms. And, certainly, thank you for your generous donations!

But, Harvest of Talents has become even more than turning talents into food for the hungry ~ for so many, it has become a homecoming, a tradition, a gathering of joy amid fellowship, and the making of precious memories with multi-generational participation. On Harvest Day, I noticed several babies under age one; their parents want them to grow up able to say, “I’ve been coming to Harvest all my life!” I saw college kids who came home to help, Sunday School kids all grown up and bringing their own kids to Harvest, family from out-of-town came to join in the day, high school students asking how can they help, and sweet photo ops amidst the fall décor and campfire. There were Christmas decorations made by a 93-year-old gentleman and paintings by preschoolers given to help raise funds. The tenderness of the day was seen in the faces of everyone who wanted to make a difference.

Each Harvest is a success by any measure and not in competition with any other year’s offering amount, because God multiplies the fruit of our efforts according to His purpose. We rejoice with you, for, like the little boy who gave Jesus his simple lunch, we are excited to give Him our 2021 offering of $103,163.19 from the 38th Harvest that many may be fed! Over these past 38 years, $2,660,218 has been raised in Lincoln to help with hunger relief in 29 countries, including the USA. Thank you for your ongoing support of Harvest of Talents!

Blessings, Carolyn Neal, Chairperson
for the Harvest Ministry Team

[Posted October 29, 2021]