Our Journey
For Pastors Everett and Sherry Upton, feeding our community one friend at a time is more than a slogan. It’s their calling. And they’ve been fulfilling it since 1986. That’s when this amazing couple first started feeding the hungry in places like New York City, Newark, New Jersey, and wherever else there was a need.
Now, they didn’t do it to get newspaper headlines or a segment on Good Morning, America.They felt God had called them to feed the hungry and they were simply doing His work. That was 31 years ago, and Everett and Sherry Upton are still doing the work God has called them to do. Every month, you’ll find them feeding the hungry in Northeast Pa (NEPA) where they currently live.
This the mission of Common Ground Ministries (CGM). In 2007, under the guidance of the Pastor Upton and his wife, CGM opened its doors in NEPA with one goal in mind – to make sure every man, woman and child living in the area had enough to eat. How do you accomplish such a big task? You start small. This unwavering couple rented a small warehouse and put the power of prayer and their experience to work.
Today, CGM has grown into a thriving food distribution outlet, serving communities throughout Monroe and Luzerne counties in NEPA. And, every month, hundreds of clients depend on CGM to feed their households.
Finding Common Ground
They say doing God’s work brings out the best in people. And that’s certainly been the case for Common Ground Ministries. As the word spread about CGM, more and more people found common ground with the organization’s work and began to donate their time and finances.
For instance, take the bank manager who started out as a corporate sponsor and eventually became a regular monthly volunteer distributing food to the hungry.
Then, there was the time when the pantry needed a larger outdoor location and a local businessman and his wife invited the Uptons to use the parking lot of their car dealership. Soon, he and his family and friends also became regular monthly volunteers, helping to unload the trucks and distribute the food.
Every $5 donation allows us to give $250 worth of food to one family. Every $10 donation allows us to deliver it to a family with no transportation.
Another Act of Kindness
And here’s another random act of kindness that deserves recognition. When the car dealership relocated, the owners of a fashionable, upscale restaurant were more than happy to let CGM use the restaurant’s spacious parking area once a month to feed the less fortunate.
Stories like these abound where Pastor Upton and his wife have “walked by faith” and individuals stepped forward to lend CGM a helping hand. Why? It’s simple. When you’re doing God’s work – not for praise or a pat on the back — people want to be a part of it.
Very soon, Common Ground Ministries will launch a new radio show and a new App. And it also has other business projects in the works. But no matter how diversified CGM becomes, the Uptons will never lose sight of what God first called them to do– and that’s to feed our community one friend at a time.
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