Food bank facilitators are celebrating the opening of their new £2 million building which will be officially marked by the Mayor of St Albans next Saturday, October 1.
The St Albans Vineyard Church needed more room to expand its FEED food bank as well as developing further programmes to help individuals and families out of poverty and burgeoning children and youth ministries.
So it launched its Growing Family Campaign in Easter 2014 and within nine months raised enough money to buy a £1.3 million warehouse at Brick Knoll Park where the church is located.
A further £700,000 was raise to kit out its empty space and building work began in February this year.
Senior pastor Chris Lane said: “People often ask me how we raised the money. We didn’t apply for grants or run jumble sales, but because we believed God was calling us as a people to facilitate this, the entire cost was carried by the church through sacrificial giving.
“It’s ended up being a £2 million project that is dedicated to serving other people’s needs – sounds like good news to me. As the leader of the church I just stand back in awe and respect.”
The church, now in its 28th year, runs one of the county’s largest food banks, FEED, which gives out around 90 bags of food a week.
St Albans Mayor, Cllr Frances Leonard, will officially open Vineyard’s new building at a reception which will include tours of the facility and a special Come & Sing pop up choir performance. To book a free ticket click here before Sunday.
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