This July, following a three-year courtship, the Brandon Area Food Shelf and the Brandon United Methodist Church reached an official memorandum of understanding. The contract gives the Food Shelf use of the entire facilities for fundraising and community events, excluding Sunday mornings for worship services and agreed-upon times for other church events. The duo will be doing business as the Union Street Meeting House.
The Brandon United Methodist Church is under the direction of a new administrative board and improvements to the facility are underway. Renovations are being made to the community space, bathroom, and kitchen, to include the addition of a new commercial stove to accommodate future community meals. The first official Community Dinner will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. Dinners will occur monthly, on the fourth Tuesday at 6 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
The Food Shelf is open Sundays from 12:30-2 p.m. and Wednesdays 3-6 p.m. The Union Street Meeting House is open to the public weekly on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. for games and socialization. All are welcome. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult. Beverages and snacks provided. Sunday morning worship is at 11:15 a.m. All are welcome to attend. For more information or if you are interested in utilizing the facility for an event, please contact Vicki Disorda at (802) 345-4125 or [email protected].
The Union Street Meeting House is also home to the Brandon/Forest Dale Lion’s Club Diaper Drive. Donations or pick-ups may be made during Food Shelf hours.
Kathy Mathis, Director of Brandon Area Food Shelf (left), Patrick Snow, Brandon Area Food Shelf Volunteer (center) and Jeff Cathcart, Trustee of Brandon United Methodist Church (right). Photo by Lisa Reynolds, Brandon United Methodist Church.
If you would like to volunteer for the Food Shelf or fundraising activities, please contact Kathy Mathis at (802) 247- 6720 or Vicki Disorda at (802) 345-4125. To RSVP for community meals, please call (802) 247-6524 and leave a message.
To make contributions to the Food Shelf please mail donations to P.O. Box 345, Brandon, VT 05733, or drop off items during Food Shelf hours. To assist with building upgrades, please mail donations to Brandon United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 55, Brandon, VT 05733.
