Partnership with church helps a father and infant in need

One Monday afternoon, Rev. Joseph D. Burchill was sitting in his office at Lancaster Alliance Church, when a young man, carrying an infant, knocked on his door.

Rev. Joe remembers the man looking nervous and sad as he explained that his girlfriend was struggling with post-partum depression and left him the night before. Alone to care for their three-month-old baby, he didn’t have formula or the money to purchase it.

“I remember thinking, ‘God’s timing is perfect!'” Rev. Joe explained. “The Lord knew he was struggling and he needed help and he ended up here.”

Just the day before, Deb Wenger, a member of Alliance Church, and a volunteer for Conestoga Valley Christian Community Services (CVCCS), had dropped off baby formula that had been donated to the CVCCS food bank.

Because there isn’t a huge need for it at CVCCS (many of the parents with infants we serve receive formula and baby food through WIC) Deb brought it to her church for anyone who needed it.

“I told her to put it outside the preschool and nursery classrooms for parents to take,” Rev. Joe said. “And the next day, here comes a father off the street in need of formula.

“I looked at him and said, ‘You know the Lord is looking out for you because today we have exactly what you need.'”