The Food Cupboard has started a series of “Pop Up Food Donation Drives” . We have held off on accepting food donations for several weeks but this will be the beginning of accepting food in the community and then putting that food “in quarantine” so that it is ready to be packed over the coming weeks. Please note that we would still prefer not to have food donations at our physical location. Here are the details for the next pop up food drive: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Top’s Market in Farmington *Please check dates on any donated food, this will save our volunteers quite a bit of time.* Just place your donation in our van at Top’s Market in Farmington on Earth Day!! We are in need of everything but especially *Canned fruit *Rice *Oatmeal *Mac and Cheese *Pasta *Pasta sauce. Please do respect social distancing rules and stand back if someone else is near the van. If you need food, please come to our drive thru emergency food distribution tomorrow, April 22nd, 2 to 4 pm at the Food Cupboard on Commercial Drive in Farmington (Commercial Drive is off Route 96 across from Park Place Restaurant). You do not need to qualify for this service, if you need food you just pull up and let us know how many people are in your family and pop your trunk. We know people who have never imagined asking for help before need help now, please do not hesitate to come!!Thanks so much and please share the event if you can!
Rev. Colin Pritchard’s view as he holds worship several times a week via Facebook Live.
So much to be thankful for during these hard times! Lots of GOOD work coming from our friends at the Victor-Farmington Food Cupboard and through our ministry at the church, and among our community. Pastor Colin Pritchard shares how we can all still be together and be in service in new and vital ways! The building is closed, but the Church remains open, through song, worship, and prayer. Here are some recent news articles on the happenings in these areas:
We are currently open only Wednesday and Sunday afternoons 2-5 to give out emergency food boxes in drive thru fashion. If you need food, pull up and stay in your vehicle. No documentation required and we move pretty quickly.
If you are longing to help, we are currently NOT accepting food donations (we would have to sanitize every item) or additional volunteer help. Both of these moves are to keep everyone safe and when this is over we will need both food and volunteers again and will happily accept both!
If you still want to do something to support the community you could consider these ideas:
*Google “Little Free Pantry” and consider putting a food drop off/pick up site in your neighborhood. With job losses, people who never needed this before may need help now and be too embarrassed to ask. People also may not have the money for the gas to get to us. (We’re hearing that quite a bit.)
* If you are going out for takeout or gas, consider picking up a gift card and giving it to someone who just lost their job or a health professional or pastor working extra shifts in extremely difficult circumstances.
* If you are on an email list please consider sharing our Wednesday/Sunday emergency food box distribution times and please stress that there is no documentation required and no need to show qualification. You come, you get food!
* If you are in a position to do this and would like to donate financially we are always grateful for that. We’re working with Facebook to solve this issue but currently our website will not go through if posted. You can Google us and it will come up. Also, we are extremely grateful to Foodlink right now so you may want to consider supporting that fantastic organization!
*Please consider sharing this post if you can, and thank you for friending us. We will post daily updates and happy stories!
As you may know Governor Cuomo ordered a shutdown of New York’s bars and restaurants for 30 days to fight COVID-19. Only take-out meals and food deliveries are allowed. For those of you who would like to eat out, but can’t at these trying times due to COVID-19, the following restaurants are still serving their fine food for pick up and in some cases delivery. Support your local restaurants if you can!
Restaurantji has also compiled the list of local restaurants in Victor offering takeout, delivery or curbside service. https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/victor/ Feel free to use and share the list with your friends and family.
We hope that you are all doing well during these difficult times and wanted to share some ways that we are making it possible to share in worship from your homes. You are all probably being inundated with emails and information, so I will attempt to make this as easy as possible for you all! Pastor Colin invites you all to join together for online worship gatherings while we are not able to meet in-person each Sunday. The Sunday worship service will be live at the regular 10 a.m. time, and Pastor Colin will also host a live prayer service on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. These services will be available two ways: via Facebook Live video on our Facebook page, and available for later viewing on our new YouTube channel.
How to access Sunday Facebook Live services:
If you are connected to Facebook, please head over to our page: https://www.facebook.com/firstvictorpres. From here, give the page a Like. If you click on the “following” tab right next to the Like tab, you will be able to set your preferences to see us first in your news feed and turn your notifications on to be notified when we post to the page. That’s it! Then head over to the page at 10 a.m. on Sunday for a live Sunday worship service, and Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. for a Prayer Service. The service will consist of formal prayers, scripture reading, reflections, prayer requests, and of course beautiful music by Rev. Colin Pritchard! *A quick note about Facebook Live: Our Facebook page is public, therefore please note that anything you comment in the comments section will be available for the public to view.
How to access the services on YouTube after the Facebook live has ended:
We have also set up a new YouTube channel! All of the services will be available on this channel for viewing after the Facebook live has ended (within a couple of hours). Click on this link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmok7NM9MktpYEuyLbmRHGQ (or search First Presbyterian Church in Victor in the search bar) to see our Youtube channel and please subscribe! These videos will be available for anyone with internet access to view, if you do not have Facebook or are unable to watch FB Live. There are two services up already if you weren’t able to watch them! Please know that staff and leadership will continue to be available to you and our community in any way possible during this time and are here for your needs. Please stay in touch, check in with each other, and reach out for those that are higher risk. If you have prayer requests or urgent needs, please reach out to Pastor Colin at [email protected], or send the office a message at [email protected]. You can also check for the most up to date news and information on our website https://victorpres.org/ and on our blog at https://victorpres.org/news-blog/
Hello Members and Friends of the First Presbyterian Church in Victor, I hope this post finds you and yours well. I know you have likely received an overwhelming amount of information and communications during this time of the Covid 19 pandemic. Thank you for taking a moment to read through this one. Your Session and I have mutually agreed to close the church facility for any activities until at least Sunday, March 29th. This follows the recommendation of the State of NY, Monroe County, and the Presbytery of Genesee Valley. Perhaps more importantly, this also follows the model of Jesus our Christ. Jesus embodied God’s great care for the lost, the least, and the vulnerable in society. Our decision to close the facility is to do the same. While most of us are not at great risk of contracting the virus, or are in mortal danger if we do, there are those in our church and broader community who are. Our inconvenience can never be compared to their suffering if we unintentionally bring illness into their lives. And so we, as a fellowship and communion of believers, ironically will care for our community by practicing “social distancing” for this season. I will send a pastoral communication tomorrow with options and opportunities for ministry in this time. For today, however, let me simply share with you the structural details:
a: In person public worship will not be available here for the next 2 Sundays. BUT **Worship will be happening! Tomorrow morning we get to share in the adventure of worshipping our God and gathering as the Body of Christ virtually. I will offer a worship experience for all via FACEBOOK LIVE at 10 am on Sunday. All you need to do is go to https://www.facebook.com/firstvictorpres/ at that time and I will be broadcasting.** If you do not have access to Facebook, a friend of yours does. Consider gathering in small healthy groups and sharing worship together. PS, there is no need to dress up because I won’t be able to see you.
b: All activities in the church are canceled during this time. The one exception is the Community Dinner tonight (3/14) which will be served as take-out only. Bible studies, music rehearsals, committee meetings, Sunday School, outside user groups, the Lenten Supper VCI gatherings etc. will NOT be happening. In the days ahead I will share ways to consider continuing some of these electronically.
c: Office hours will continue as Courtney and I coordinate communication, pastoral care, and timely ministry during this situation. If you are in need of pastoral care, I remain fully available to you. Please also be aware that much of this care may need to be via a phone call or electronic connection. (Pastor Colin 585-734-7007) For you to do:
1: Please spread the word to any friends and visitors you are in contact with who might not be connected to our regular email communications. (Note: I will directly call those I know, but I’m sure there are others I’m unaware of)
2: Please take good care of one another, especially paying attention to those who may be painfully isolated or at risk in the midst of this adventure. Reach out and check-in.
3: Fear not. Love much. Wash your hands.
4: Remember the facility is closed but THE CHURCH IS OPEN in your lives, hearts, hope, faithfulness, care and choices. I am here for you if you need.
Be well, love much, and take care.
That’s enough for now. More to come as things change. Be well and know that we walk this road together. If you need to reach out to me, I am here and privileged to serve as your pastor. Blessings and peace for the next steps. “See” you tomorrow. Pastor Colin
