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Pender’s Mini Free Pantry

Pender’s Mini Food Pantry: A Small Space with a Big Mission

The Pender Mini Food Pantry is officially open and ready to serve our community! This little structure—built as an Eagle Scout Project by one of Pender’s Boy Scouts—is a beautiful example of service, compassion, and creativity.

At first glance, it looks a lot like a Little Free Library, but instead of books, it’s stocked with nonperishable food for anyone in need. It’s a simple yet powerful way to share kindness and nourishment in our neighborhood.

📍 Location:
You’ll find the pantry at 12301 Alder Woods Drive, Fairfax, VA 22033—coming from Route 50, it’s the second driveway on the left into Pender, right beside the sidewalk.

🥫 What’s Inside:
As of this writing, the pantry is filled with a wide variety of items, including:

  • Canned tuna, chicken, chili, and soup
  • Broth, vegetables, pumpkin, and apple sauce
  • Shelf-stable milk, peach slices, mandarin oranges, and individual fruit packs
  • Jello, pudding cups, mac and cheese servings, and mashed potatoes
  • Coffee, oatmeal, ketchup, gravy packets, and cooking oil

It’s truly a community effort—and every contribution helps keep it going.

💜 How to Help:
Anyone is welcome to take what they need or to donate food items to keep the pantry stocked. When you give, please remember our guiding principle:

Give with dignity. Donate items you’d feel comfortable using yourself.

✝️ A Reflection

In Matthew 14:19–20, Jesus blesses a few loaves and fishes and feeds thousands—reminding us that God multiplies our small acts of generosity into abundance for all.

The Pender Mini Food Pantry is one small basket among many, but together, we can feed both body and spirit in the name of Christ.

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2025 in food insecurity, Get Involved!, Pender UMC

 

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Celebrate Earth Day With a Community Cleanup!

 

Join us this Earth Day for a Community Cleanup Extravaganza! Get ready to spruce up our neighborhood and make a positive impact on our environment.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Dress in sturdy shoes and wear clothes suitable for cleaning.
  • Don’t forget to bring gloves and a water bottle to stay hydrated.
  • We’ll provide all the necessary cleanup supplies, including bags.
  • Enjoy snacks and water refills on us as we work together to tidy up Fairfax.

Come out, make a difference, and help keep our community beautiful. Your efforts truly matter, and what better way to celebrate Earth Day than by caring for our planet together!

 

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Parking Lot Help Needed This Saturday, April 5!

We’re calling on helping hands for a Parking Lot Workday this Saturday, April 5, and we’d love your support!

The HOA across the street recently alerted us to a fallen tree on our property that needs to be cleared. Thanks to coordination by Robert Parker, head of Trustees, we have a tree cleanup scheduled for that day to take care of it.

In addition to the tree removal, we’ll be refreshing the parking lot with newly painted lines to clearly define parking spaces and give the area a much-needed spruce-up.

We’re also excited to share that KUMC Koinonia will be joining us to lend a hand — so it’s a great opportunity to work together, build community, and take care of God’s house!

Come dressed for outdoor work and bring any tools you might have that could help with clean-up or painting prep. Many hands make light work!

Thank you for supporting the care and upkeep of our church grounds!

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2025 in Get Involved!, Ministries, Pender UMC

 

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Pender Music: Badinerie

For Pender’s offertory on June 18, 2023  Brian Stevenson, Director of Music Ministries, played Badinerie BWV 1067 from “Orchestral Suite No. 2 in b minor” by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) on his flute.  He was accompanied by Heidi Jacobs on the piano.

The Badinerie (literally “jesting” in French – in other works Bach used the Italian word with the same meaning, scherzo) has become a showpiece for solo flautists because of its quick pace and difficulty.

 

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Pender Music: A Prayer for Healing

“A Prayer for Healing” was the offertory anthem at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on October 1, 2023. It was sung by Pender’s Sanctuary choir, directed by Jane McKee and accompanied on piano by Heidi Jacobs. With words and music by Joseph M. Martin, this powerful music references John 2, Jeremiah 14:1-22, John 14:27, John 9:1-41

Written during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this song of spiritual and physical wellness speaks to many moments of need. Opening with the first few chords of O God, Our Help in Ages Past, the anthem is framed as a petition for God’s healing mercy. The unison melody gently rises and falls before all join in on the prayerful refrain: “In the silence help us hear words of hope and promise clear. Teach us not to live in fear. Lord of all, we pray to you.” A true anthem of hope!

 

 

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