Trinity Episcopal Church, at 36 Main Street, has two special events in upcoming weekends.

The public is invited visit the church on Sunday, November 14, between 11 am and 1 pm, when a food drive for FAITH Food Pantry in Newtown will be conducted.

The mission of the nondenominational pantry is to help any Newtown/Sandy Hook resident who needs food assistance, and to do so without question or judgment. During 2020 FAITH helped feed 1,085 families (2,479 clients) and provided 52,059 meals.

Many families continue to struggle to make ends meet. The youth of Trinity, therefore, have planned another food drive this year to help those in need.

Donations of nonperishable items are requested. Young adults will be in the parking lot of the church collecting items as vehicles are driven through. Drivers and passengers should remain in their vehicles while the youth collect the items.

Among the items regularly requested by FAITH are the following: beef stew, canned chili, sloppy joe, baked beans, canned tomatoes, pasta, pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned fruit, rice, packaged rice, pasta dishes, peanut butter and jelly, cookies, crackers, cereal, bottle juice, brownie mix, cookie mix, cake mix, pet food, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, laundry soap, hand soap, liquid dish soap, and coffee.

For additional information contact Kim Merrill at 203-426-9070 or kmerrill@trinitynewtownct.org.

Open Sanctuary For Reflection

As the anxiety and disruption of the pandemic continue, Trinity is also offering a time of quiet and beauty. Members of the church warmly invite the public into their Sanctuary the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

There is no formal service planned for the afternoon of November 27, when the building is open from 4 to 5:30 pm, just an open house of sorts with the following possibilities suggested:

*Light a candle for someone;

*Add the name of a loved one who has died to the Memorial Book;

*Sit peacefully in the beautiful historic space for reflection or meditation;

*Receive a healing blessing from clergy;

*Speak in confidence with a nonjudgmental listener; and/or

*Add to the church’s growing list of “I wish I could have …” Did you miss a graduation, or lose a job? Trinity’s members have actively named their pandemic losses in a mission to seek healing together.

Reservations are not needed. Additional information is available by contacting the church office at 203-426-9070 or trinity@trinitynewtownct.org.