Holiday Carol Sing to Help CCMI Feed the Hungry

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nov. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Residents, both young and old, can celebrate the holidays by singing together to help feed the hungry at the 23rd Annual Holiday Carol Sing, presented by First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers and sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships.

The Holiday Carol Sing will be Tuesday, Dec. 17, at First Presbyterian Church, 2438 Second Street in downtown Fort Myers, between Lee Street and Royal Palm Avenue.  Admission is at least two cans of non-perishable food for the Everyday Café and Marketplace (formerly known as The Soup Kitchen), operated by Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc. (CCMI), and a voluntary cash donation, if you can.

Because of the overwhelming popularity of the event, three carol sings are planned at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.  The doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time.

First Presbyterian’s pastor, Rev. Paul deJong, is urging the community to help with canned goods and cash donations to help those in need.

“We need to help The Soup Kitchen by donating as much canned goods and cash donations as we can to help families through this prolonged recession,” he said.

CCMI provided food and other services to 10,250 people last year.  “There are even more families who need our help.  Do what God would want you to do and give what you can,” Rev. deJong said.

CCMI was started by First Presbyterian Church in 1984 to help alleviate hunger and suffering in Lee County.  The church has continued to support its ministry there by providing volunteers in The Soup Kitchen and delivering hot meals to home-bound seniors.

Hymn Sing organizer Sam Galloway, Jr., has made feeding the hungry part of his life’s work.      “Our community has done so much to help our neighbors, but we need to do even more.  If we each just gave the equivalent of what we would spend on a meal – either at home or in a restaurant – those few dollars could feed a family of four for an entire week.” Galloway said.

Galloway said cash donations are especially needed because CCMI can buy five times as much food for the same amount of money that residents spend at local grocery stores.

Residents who cannot attend any of the Holiday Carol Sing performances may donate canned goods at either the Galloway Ford dealership on Boy Scout Drive or the Coconut Point Ford dealership on U.S. 41 in Estero or mail donations to CCMI, P. O. Box 2143, Fort Myers, FL  33902

The Holiday Carol Sing is a festival of holiday music and family fun.  This year’s 90-minute performance will feature the First Presbyterian Church Choir, soloists and other special guests singing favorite holiday carols with audience sing-a-longs.

There is a strong rumor that Santa Claus will be making a surprise visit for the “children in all of us.”

The Holiday Carol Sing is the third of three hymn sings sponsored annually by the Galloway Family of Dealerships.  The other two are Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in February and A Midsummer Night’s Sing in July.  All three events benefit the Everyday Café and Marketplace of CCMI, which was started in 1984 by First Presbyterian Church as The Soup Kitchen to help alleviate hunger and suffering in Lee County.

Last year, CCMI received more than 2,500 pounds of canned goods and other non-perishable items from the Holiday Carol Sing.  The food was immediately distributed to those in need.

For more information, call First Presbyterian Church at (239) 334-2261 or visit www.fpcfortmyers.org.

About CCMI

CCMI is an innovative nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community. The agency provides more than 14,000 meals each month through their Everyday Café and Marketplace and Home Delivered Meals programs. CCMI also educates 40 children in their Community Montessori, offers homeless and comprehensive case management services through the Cape Coral United Way Resource House and oversees an emergency mobile food pantry.

About First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers

First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers, located at 2438 Second St. in downtown Fort Myers, is a community of faith, celebrating a loving God.  First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1901 and continues to be an integral part of Lee County by presenting some of the area’s most well-attended events, such as Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in February as part of the Edison Festival of Light, A Midsummer Night’s Sing in July, and the Holiday Carol Sing in December.  All three events benefit The Soup Kitchen of CCMI, which also was founded by First Presbyterian Church in 1984.  Services are offered Sundays at 11 a.m. with Sunday Adult Education from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  A nursery is available from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Hearing assistive equipment also is available.