#WeLoveKent delivers food & hope
During the spring of 2020, amidst the rapid changes due to Covid-19, we had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Roark and heard of the amazing work that God is doing in Kent!
It all started in April of 2020 with a phone call connecting Matt with Living Hope Church and New Beginnings Church. Matt and the churches in Kent wanted to coordinate passing out Microsoft boxed lunches that the company was donating to the community. They thought they would start with 300 for an apartment complex, but soon realized closer to 3000 meals were available to them to pass out. Matt called more churches and various apartment complexes to hand out the massive amount of boxed lunches. After Microsoft ended their boxed lunch initiative, Matt and the church collaborators formed a food pantry. God provided space, appliances and food to feed families in abundance. Over 700 families were fed out of their garage food pantry!
It did not stop there! Matt got in touch with the mayor of Kent and got the #WeloveKent movement going by continuing to deliver food to those in need, but in large, truck-full quantities. The #WeLoveOurCity movement started in California and connects churches, nonprofits and city organizations for the benefit of the local community. The city of Kent partnered with Matt and helped built the #WeloveKent logo. That partnership opened up the use of amazing resources for the distribution of food and space for the group to meet for prayer. Most notably, when the USDA released its 3 billion dollar food relief program nationwide, the Kent school district reached out to Matt to ask if he wanted to be a part of the distribution of food. Matt had access to over a million boxes of food!!
God provided the money to rent a refrigerated truck with a lift gate within 24 hours. The community was showered with God’s provision through this food. Matt and those involved in #WeloveKent set up a drive through pick up at various locations, such as apartment buildings and churches. It did not stop there. Partnerships with organizations in Seattle, Bellevue and Renton were formed for the glory of God and the mission of blessing those in need with food! That is the Gospel and we are seeing it in the Sound. God is providing in awesome abundance and He is so good.
Since 2020,
13 Apartment Communities were served
7 churches served their communities and are still connected to them by offering things like school supplies, dinners, and community needs!
2 people came to faith in Jesus
1 was baptized
8 non-profits connected together to bring in over 18 millions pounds of food and resources
Over $60,000 donated into the ministry of We Love Kent @ Calvary Chapel South
God provided a shipping container to use to store resources
God provided a rental truck for a year
God provided a rental refrigeration container for over a year
Continue to pray with us for Matt Roark and the movement that is still going on in Kent, that God would be known by those who are receiving this food or witness this beautiful act of generosity.