“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…”
The inner-city in the summer can be a lonely place for kids. School is closed. Mom and Dad are working to provide. More often than not they have no role models and no food to eat. In a small way, Cornerstone is trying to make a difference.
For the past 13 years Cornerstone, through its save paper save people initiative, has partnered with Neighborhood Fellowship Church in the inner-city of Indianapolis to live out the commission found in Matthew: 25, giving food drink and love to the least of these. For an entire week every summer, all of Cornerstone is focused on being part of the lives of the youth in the neighborhood. This focus attempts to impact the whole child including mind body and spirit and is broken down on a daily basis consisting of craft, music, message, and recreation.
The effects of this involvement are not only external but also internal. This year we impacted over 120 kids on a daily basis by providing breakfast and lunch (more than 1200 meals) and becoming role models through relationships. We have been blessed to see children that used to take every opportunity to run from the group into oncoming traffic, become volunteers themselves. Additionally, the church building itself has undergone a transformation from plaster falling off the walls and holes in the ceiling to four fully restored floors of rooms dedicated to ministry.
Christ the King said “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…” When asked when these things happened Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you that whoever you did these things for one of the least of these…you did it for me.” We at Cornerstone are appreciative of all of our customers and partners continued involvement and support enabling us to impact the lives of those kids.