FaithBridge Community Thanksgiving Service stocks food pantries, supports refugees

The ninth annual FaithBridge Community Thanksgiving Service was held Nov. 22 at Blue Lotus Temple in Woodstock. It was a great success, featuring music and speakers from different faith traditions, including the monks of Blue Lotus Temple, Hindu singer and drummer Ravi Subramanyan, and a young man who has memorized the Quran chanting a chapter about the interconnectedness of God's work in creation.

This year's offering totaled $1,004.22, which has been equally split between the Woodstock Area Community Ministries, the Algonquin -Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry, and FaithBridge for its continued work in the community. Each year, FaithBridge chooses local food pantries to receive the monies collected. In addition to the regular Thanksgiving offering, $500 in gift cards were received and have been sent to Islamic Oasis for distribution to local refugees.

FaithBridge is a consortium of faith-based communities in McHenry and Lake counties. It seeks to promote mutual understanding and respectful relationships among diverse religious communities; to develop interfaith communication, understanding, cooperation, spiritual practice and action, to foster a network of community religious leaders; to create opportunities or inter-religious learning, fellowship and dialogue and to nurture a culture of justice, peace, and healing among all religious communities.

More information can be found at www.faithbridgeinterfaith.org.