【December 2022 No.411】Kashiwagi Church’s Food Pantry（4）

2023年1月10日

Shinto no Tomo’s Special Feature: Drawing Close and Being Drawn Close

Kashiwagi Church’s Food Pantry
How a service begun by three members of a lonely aging church,
separated from local community fellowship, spread.

by Fujimori Yoshimitsu, member
Kashiwagi Church, Church of Christ in Japan

Kashiwagi Food Pantry was begun in 2016 as one of the food pantries operated by Second Harvest Japan (hereafter, 2HJ). This was triggered by Kashiwagi Church’s establishment of a Diaconia (service) Committee in 2011, with the aim of serving the area as a group based on a traditional Reformation Church “band.”

Previously, the church had also operated a nursery school, and some church members lived in the vicinity of the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. However, by that time only a handful of members lived within walking distance of the church. The church had become a place where people from far away gathered only on meeting days, so there were almost no ties with the neighborhood. These members were aging, and the church had, so to speak, changed into a solitary gathering of seniors who had no relationship with the neighborhood.

At the time when the committee was started, about 150 people were attending worship. Their average age was above 70, and the generation of those who could actually work were all employed and busy nurturing children, so it was difficult to find human resources. There were also various types of resistance within the church regarding any activity that wasn’t directly related to evangelism. In the midst of that kind of status quo, how could service aimed toward people outside the church be done? The church board session decided to start by gaining know-how through taking part in the work of NPO corporations and various other groups in the area.

As I was working in a Christian-related agency at the time, I cooperated with the 2HJ representative, Charles McJilton, aiding in the extension of the pantry’s base. Charles, who was a Catholic believer, was troubled that few churches in Japan supported the food pantry, so he appealed directly to churches. That overlapped with the period when Kashiwagi Church began to consider such service.

The church was able to start its pantry due to 2HJ’s gracious offer to allow the church to begin with what it was able to provide. In the beginning we persuaded the church board to offer the church building as the venue, to allow the participation of three members, myself included, and even to leave the operation and search for volunteers up to 2HJ.

Although there were only a few people when the pantry began, members of the church joined in the work. And once people began to join in, they realized its significance and were then willing to continue to participate. That circle slowly widened, and from three years ago, in 2018, almost all the work, other than procuring groceries, is now being conducted by church members.

Only 4 to 5 groups of people were served when the pantry was open once a month, but now the pantry is serving over 50 groups. About 10 volunteers do the advance distribution sorting and 5-6 work with food distribution. Since last year, 2-3 persons living in the neighborhood have joined in the work of the pantry, one of whom is not Christian. I‘m glad to think there is a lonely aging church that is becoming a place open to the community.

Personally, it is my dream that volunteers from the area will increase and that this pantry will become a community work based in the church. The standard is Tohoku District’s Center “Emmaus,” which aided survivors at the time of the East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

Emmaus consists of Christians, volunteers from outside the church, and victims from the local area who come together on the same level, joining their strengths, listening to the voices of people in need of a helping hand, and valuing life together. We continue our activities in prayer so that we might be the fragrance of Christ, not by proclaiming the gospel loudly but through serving the area as Christ humbled himself to serve us.

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Getting Involved as a Volunteer
by Sachiko from North Shinjuku in Tokyo (age 72)

Corona Virus can’t quite be eradicated, and groups and courses I joined since I retired have been suspended as most members are seniors. I couldn't go out other than for urgent needs, so I was experiencing a gloomy existence at home. Therefore, I came up with the idea last year of searching the Internet for “Shinjiuku Food Bank” and found “Kashiwagi Church.” I was surprised that it is located just ten minutes from my house. With no hesitation I called ahead to say, “ I am not a Christian,” but I was given permission to take part in the work, so I was happy.

I sense that the response of people using this service is gratitude. And staff members are exceedingly warm, so it’s comfortable working together. Starting with the pastor’s wife, and the enjoyable everyday relaxed conversation with the women’s group, I eagerly await the second Saturday of every month. I hope very much that I will be allowed to continue in the future. (Tr. RT)

_____________________

“Food Pantry:” A service group that provides food for people who for various reasons have difficulty procuring food

Second Harvest Japan (2JH): One of the first food banks in Japan, Second Harvest Japan was launched in Taito-Ku, Tokyo in 2002, and gathers groceries from various organizations for food banks.

Food Pantry Questions & Answers:
- When it began, how many staff persons were there?
Three church members
- What funds did they have?
   None
- Notification Method?
   The Home Page of 2HJ
- What is the first thing that should be done?
   Study and observation of work that already exists
- How are groceries procured?
   Apply to the food bank; ask local super markets for cooperation, etc.
From: Shinto no Tomo (Believers’ Friend), October 2022

特集：寄り添い寄り添われる

フードパントリー
地域の交わりから離れ独居老人化していた教会。３人から始まった活動がどのように広がっていったのか。

日本キリスト教会柏木教会員　藤守義光（ふじもりよしみつ）

　柏木教会のフードパントリーは２０１６年に、セカンドハーベスト・ジャパン（以下2HJ）が運営するパントリーの1つとして始まりました。きっかけとなったのは、教会が2011年にディアコニア（奉仕）委員会を発足させ、おそまきながら改革教会の伝統に立つ群れとして地域に仕える教会を目指したことでした。
　以前は保育園を運営していたこともあり、教会のある新宿の近隣に住む教会員もいました。ところが今では徒歩圏内に住む教会員は片手で数えるほど。教会は集会がある日だけ遠くから人が集まる場所になり、近隣とのつながりはほとんどない状態です。会員の高齢化もあいまって、教会はいわばご近所付き合いのない独居老人と化していたのです。
　委員会を開始した当時は150名程度の礼拝出席がありましたが、平均年齢は70歳を超え、実際に動ける世代はみな仕事や子育て、介護と忙しく、人材を見つけることも難しい状況でした。また、教会の中には福音伝道に直結しない活動に対するさまざまな抵抗もありました。
　そんな教会の現状の中で、どうやって教会の外に向けてのディアコニアの働きを始めていくのか。小会（長老会）はすでに地域において働いているNPO法人などの働きに参加しながら、ノウハウを得ていく方策を採りました。
　一方、当時キリスト教系の財団に勤務していた私は2HJのマクジルトン・チャールズ代表に協力してパントリー拠点拡張の手伝いをしていました。カトリック信徒のチャールズさんは、日本でパントリーに協力してくれる教会が少ないことを憂い、教会に対する訴えを積極的に行っていました。それがちょうど柏木教会がディアコニアを考えはじめた時期と重なったのです。
　教会がパントリーを始めることができたのは、できることから始めてくれればいい、という2HJのありがたい申し出があったからでした。なんとか小会を説得し、私を含め２、３人の有志で、最初はとにかく会場を提供するだけ、運営もボランティア探しも２HJにすべておまかせというスタートでした。
　始めてみると、少人数ながら活動に加わる教会員が出てきました。そして一度活動に加わった人たちはその意義に気づき、継続して参加してくれるようになりました。その輪が少しずつ広がり、3年前の2018年からは、食料品の入手以外の運営のほぼすべてを教会員だけで担えるようになりました。
　月１回のペースで開催しているパントリーは当初４、５組という細々とした歩みでしたが、現在は50組を超える利用者がいます。事前の配布食料の仕分けに10名程度、配布の作業に５、６名のボランティアがいます。昨年からは近隣に住む方が２、３名、パントリーの活動に加わり、中にはクリスチャンではない方もあります。弧老と化していた教会が地域へ開かれた場になりつつあることを大変うれしく思っています。
　個人的には、地域からのボランティアが増えて、このパントリーが教会を拠点とした地域の活動になることを夢見ています。目標は東日本震災時に被災者支援に当たった東北教区センター「エマオ」です。
　エマオはキリスト者、教会の外から来るボランティア、そして地域の被災者が同じ目線で力を合わせ、手を必要としている人々の声に耳をかたむけ、寄り添う活動を大事にしていました。声高に福音を語るのではなく、キリストが私たちに身を低くして仕えてくださったように、地域に仕えることを通してキリストの香りを持ち運ぶことができたらと祈りのうちに活動を続けています。Ω

「ボランティアとして関わって」

東京都北新宿
さち子（72）

　コロナがなかなか終息せず、定年退職後に楽しんできたお稽古事はシニアが多いので再開されません。不要不急の用事を除いて外出もままならず家で鬱々うつうつと過ごしていました。
　そこで昨年、思いついて「新宿＿フードバンク」とネット検索したら柏木教会がヒット。自宅から10分と近く驚きましたが、早速「信者ではありませんが」と前置きして活動に参加したい旨を電話すると快諾。うれしかったです。
　活動では利用者さんが感謝してくださる手応えを感じています。また、スタッフの皆さんはホンワカと温かく、居心地がとても良いです。牧師のおつれあいをはじめとして、女性陣との何気ない日常会話も楽しみで、第２土曜日を毎月心待ちにしています。
　今後もぜひ続けさせていただきたいと思っています。　

「フードパントリーQ&A」