A Mission of Action

NETWorks responds with the hospitality of Christ to the food and financial needs of our neighbors and partners with them to find long term solutions to poverty.

That’s the mission statement of NETWorks. When I started as the Executive Director, I knew I needed to be able to recite it without hesitation and with meaning. I struggled. I couldn’t remember it, it felt awkward, I thought it was too long.

Then I spent time with it, breaking it down, understanding it.

My “key word” that unlocked the rest was “respond.” NETWorks ACTS. We WORK. We FEED. We build relationships. Once I made that connection, the rest came a little easier.

How do we respond? With the hospitality of Christ. Being welcoming. Treating others as we want to be treated. Loving our neighbor as ourselves.

What do we do? We meet food and financial needs, walking alongside our neighbors where they are. Not requiring them to jump through a lot of hoops to receive food. Giving them as much choice as we can. Because choice is a means of control. Going to a food pantry can be very difficult for some people. Not having the resources to provide for yourself is humbling, leaving a defeated feeling.

But the hospitality of Christ guides our response as we provide food and financial assistance. That’s our mission. Our staff and volunteers live out that mission statement every day. And seeing it in action makes it a lot easier to remember.