More than 230 people attended the May 12 inaugural fundraising dinner for our Goods and Grace grocery store ministry. Since our initial ministry start, the grocery store has received additional support from Christian Help, Ascension Lutheran Church and Metro Life Church in the Central Florida region.
Guest speakers included Mr. Randy Duncan, the volunteer store director and Rev. Dr. Tige Culbertson, St. Luke’s senior pastor. They focused on the great need facing the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) community who live at or near the federal poverty level. These families are struggling to make ends meet each month and many of them have to choose between paying a utility bill or buying groceries. Some are facing homelessness if they miss a rent payment!
Goods and Grace will provide support to these families through affordable grocery shopping, referrals to other local services that can help them as well as sharing the love of Christ as relationships form between volunteers and patrons. Goods and Grace is a fully volunteer operated store which means that overhead is kept low and less administrative expense is passed onto the patrons.
Attendees at the event gave more than $125,000 thanks to the generosity of our attendees, our sponsors who underwrote the cost of the dinner and a $40,000 matching gift!
Randy shared that the target soft opening for the store is middle of June 2023, once they receive the occupancy permit from the City of Casselberry. The store is located at 1520 E Altamonte Dr. in Casselberry and will be open at strategic hours to make it easy for patrons working two or even three jobs to quickly stop in and purchase their own groceries.
More information can be found by visiting goodsandgrace.org
