The sound of a bell rang through St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Ind., followed by cheers from volunteers who had just filled another case of food for local families.
Music played as teenagers worked alongside retirees, measuring and packaging food while getting to know one another. Every completed case brought another round of celebration.
It was Reformation Sunday, and about 30 volunteers, ranging in age from 12 to 70, had gathered for Protein for Pantries, a project combining fellowship, service and the congregation's commitment to caring for its neighbors.
In just one hour, volunteers packaged 528 family-sized bags of textured vegetable protein (TVP), providing 7,920 servings of protein for families experiencing food insecurity. The project is part of a broader effort at St. Thomas to address hunger through food drives, regular volunteer days at a local pantry and hosting a summer feeding site in a neighboring community.
"Food pantry clients are hungry, especially for protein," said Larry Moore, one of the project organizers.
Rising grocery prices and declining protein donations have made it increasingly difficult for food pantry clients to access affordable protein, Moore said.
"Protein costs have risen even faster than the overall cost of groceries," he said. "At the same time, food pantry sources of protein have decreased, resulting in a double whammy on pantry clients in their search for protein."
The congregation has been working directly with local food pantries and service providers to understand community needs and identify opportunities to help.
"Several members of the congregation have been having one-on-one conversations with local food pantries and service providers to understand what is happening and where we might partner with them," said Rev. Adrianne Meier, pastor at St. Thomas.
A New Way to Address Hunger
The event was funded through a $1,200 grant from the St. Thomas Mission Endowment Fund and organized in partnership with Pack Away Hunger, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that has helped volunteers create more than 25 million Nutri-Plenty meals since 2010.
The St. Thomas event marked Pack Away Hunger's first effort packaging TVP into family-sized portions.
Volunteers filled 12-ounce bags with the shelf-stable vegetable protein, which can replace ground beef in dishes such as chili, tacos and sloppy joes. Each package includes a QR code linking to recipes and cooking instructions.
Four local organizations will receive the donations, including providers of early childhood education, family homelessness services, hot meals for people in need and a food pantry serving four counties in Southern Indiana.
"Larry also made sure that every TVP package was prepared with a destination in mind," Pastor Meier said. "We confirmed with several local pantries that they would like TVP and how much."
Each package contains approximately 15 servings, providing enough protein to benefit 528 families.
Celebrating Reformation Through Service
St. Thomas traditionally hosts a multigenerational activity on Reformation Sunday, and organizers saw Protein for Pantries as an opportunity to bring people together while helping their neighbors.
"This project allowed us to come together to serve our neighbors and share in God's abundant grace," said Deacon Allison Ward , another organizer.
Younger participants also decorated paper bags that will be used the day after Christmas to pack 110 fresh lunches for people experiencing homelessness who gather at another church each Sunday.
The project reflected Martin Luther's teaching that Christians should devote their works of faith to the benefit of their neighbors, Pastor Meier said.
"Serving our neighbor seems like a great way to celebrate Reformation Sunday!" she said.
The event also brought together generations of church members who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to work alongside one another.
Many volunteers expressed interest in participating again, and organizers hope the project will expand to other groups throughout the Midwest.
St. Thomas is also considering installing a Little Free Pantry on church property to provide shelf-stable meals for individuals and families between visits to larger food pantries. TVP could become a staple of that ministry.
"Sometimes Reformation Sunday can feel a bit self-congratulatory," Pastor Meier said. "I hope participants went home saying, 'Yes! I knew this was what Lutherans were like!'"
