Community Service

 IFFP recognizes that giving of time and resources to the larger community and to those who are in need is a central element of both Christian and Jewish traditions. IFFP has been involved with community service since its inception.

Our annual service events include a Thanksgiving food drive to benefit the local food bank, and holiday gift collections for a variety of organizations. Periodic service workdays involve the whole IFFP community working together. Workdays, for example, have been devoted to:

gleaning kale and cucumbers from the fields to provide food for Washington area people in need,

building a nature trail and tree house on the grounds of a shelter for homeless families, 

indoor painting at the shelter,

extensive yard work and indoor cleanup to prepare homes for people in need,

yard cleanups for elderly people seeking help to remain in their own homes, and

planting a garden at a shelter for abused women.
 

A special effort has been made to keep these workdays “kid friendly,” so children and parents can work alongside each other and children can experience the rewards of volunteering. Projects also are woven into the Sunday School curriculum and into holiday celebrations. These have included:

 making bag lunches for shelters,  
preparing Easter baskets for families in need,  participating in walkathons for the homeless,  gathering donations of holiday gifts, and  gathering donations of food and clothing.
 

In light of IFFP's substantial growth and strong sentiment expressed by the membership, it has become possible to begin planning for ongoing projects as well. We hope that these will include activities not limited by the constraints of kid-friendliness, and they could involve teams of IFFP members participating on a rotating basis.