OGDEN -- A free community dinner will be the main highlight of the Congregational United Church of Christ's 11-day campaign to address food injustice in the community and around the world.
The dinner will be held at 5 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Marshall White Center, 222 28th St. Organizers expect to serve between 300 and 600 people.
Spaghetti and meatballs or vegetarian sauce, salad, roll, drink and dessert will be served.
Each family or individual who attends will receive a grocery bag of useful items, while supplies last, states a news release from the church.
There will be live bluegrass and folk music.
"This dinner is a true interfaith effort," said Rev. Gage Church, pastor at Congregational United Church of Christ. "Hunger is bigger than any religious difference."
The Sullivan Hollow Second Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a major partner, and many other sponsors and donors span different faiths and community organizations. (See list below.)
The dinner comes in the midst of the church's Mission:1 campaign, a nationwide effort by the United Church of Christ denomination during the first 11 days of November (11-1-11 to 11-11-11).
The effort is designed to collect more than 1 million items for local food banks, raise $111,111 in online donations for hunger initiatives around the country and $111,111 for East Africa famine relief. Organizers hope members will write 11,111 letters to Congress asking that U.S. foreign assistance be reformed to more effective serve the world's poorest people.
The Ogden church will take part in those efforts as well as:
* Collect nonperishable food items in the neighborhoods of congregation members for donation to the local area's depleted food banks.
* Serve a meal at the Ogden Rescue Mission Thursday, Nov. 10.
* Deliver groceries with the local SHARE program.
Some members of the congregation also will fast in 11-hour shifts. The fasting will be in solidarity with those who are hungry not by their own choice and also to donate the money that would have gone to pay for food during that span of time.
Other sponsors and donors of the Nov. 5 community dinner are: Bob Barker Co., Congregation Brith Sholem, Elim Lutheran Church, First United Methodist Church, Forest Green Ward of the LDS Church, Fresh Market, Kaffe Mercantile, Karen's Cafe, Macey's, Marshall White Center, McDonald's, Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership, Old Post Ward of the LDS Church, Orchard Park Ward of the LDS Church, Satya-A Center for Conscious Living, Shadow Ridge Ward of the LDS Church, Smith's, Sullivan Hollow First Ward of the LDS Church, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden and Washington Heights Baptist Church.
Call Rev. Church at 801-392-5012 or 515-360-2393 for more information about Mission:1. Call Kim Harbath, a church deacon, at 801-737-3667 for more information about the community dinner.
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