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BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMConnection Staff

Eight churches in the conference were recently recognized for their partnership with the Society of Saint Andrew to feed the hungry.

The donations from the eight churches during the first half of 2006, combined with those from 197 other United Methodist churches from across the country, totaled $224,178, said Carol A. Breitinger, the society?s communications director.

Those combined donations provided nearly 4 million pounds of fresh, nutritious food to the nation?s hungry people.

The Society of St. Andrew is a national ecumenical nonprofit hunger-relief ministry and an Advance Special of The United Methodist Church. It was started in 1979 by two United Methodist clergymen in Virginia. One of them, the Rev. Ken Horne, is the executive director of the agency which turns 25 this year.

The Society of Saint Andrew closes the gap between the 35 million people who can?t be sure of eating enough every day and the 96 billion (96,000,000,000) pounds of food wasted and thrown away in the United States each year.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference United Methodist Men have participated in the Potato Project for many years. At a recent meeting they affirmed the project and plan to do two 'potato drops' this year, said United Methodist Men president Sherman Harris. Under the leadership of the Annapolis District United Methodist Men president, Darvin Hebron, truckloads of potatoes will be distributed to food banks and soup kitchens in this area.

Recently recognized as partner churches for their financial contributions of up to $500 are Frostburg, Hollywood, Loch Raven, Mt. Zion in Bel Air and Sharp Street in Sandy Spring UMCs. Recognized as Change the World Partners, which gave $1,000, are Bethany UMC in Ellicott City, Chevy Chase and Mt. Nebo UMCs.

At the end of July, a new society report says that since 1983 the total of pounds of produce saved and distributed to the hungry is 513,376,761, which represents 1.54 billion servings.

MAKE THE CONNECTION:
For more information about the Society of Saint Andrew and the Partner Churches program, contact (800) 333-4597, e-mail to , or visit www.endhunger.org.

To contribute through the Advance Special, make checks to Conference Treasurer and designate them for Advance Special #801600. Mail to the Conference Center, 7178 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite D, Columbia, MD 21046.