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One of my favorite things in the world is biting into a fresh tomato, picked on a sunny day, still warm from the garden. It brings me immediately home to our Connecticut kitchen on a hot summer evening. I can still picture my dad cutting baseball bat sized zucchinis into slices, breading them, then frying them in a big electric skillet. The delicious treats would be gobbled up before he could get the next batch into the pan.
As the summer progressed, my father used to have bowls of fresh vegetables covering his countertop, too many to keep up with. We worked and laughed side by side making jars and jars of bread and butter pickles. I have to be honest, the attempt at dill pickles was not nearly as successful, but we still had fun making them. He and my mom canned “Garden Special” with the tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers. All winter long we had those gleaming red jars on the basement shelves, just waiting for us to make spaghetti sauce full of the taste of summer.
I have never had the gardening success that my dad had, but I try every year. I have some snap peas and cucumbers growing in the back yard, and I’m hoping for a good crop of tomatoes and green beans from my plot at the Mattera Conservation Community Garden.
Spend a little time this summer reveling in the sweet taste of a fresh tomato, shucking butter and sugar corn, or snapping fresh green beans.
Do you have a garden? A great way to share your abundance is to bring it to the Reading Food Pantry. You can drop off your produce (and other donations) at 6 Salem Street on Wednesday afternoons between 4:30 and 6:00, Thursday mornings 10:00 to 12:00, or Monday evenings 5:00 to 5:30.
Additionally, their July needs list is:
- Laundry detergent
- Paper towels
- Solid white tuna in water
- Mayonnaise
- Kids’ snacks
Watch for an exclusive interview with Simone Payment from the Reading Food Pantry in August.
Stay cool! Jeannie
July 2025
- Specialized Roofing, the contractor for the Chapel and 1959 Roof repairs, has ordered supplies and applied for permits. Work on these projects will begin in August, starting with the Chapel roof.
- We have submitted RFQs and are awaiting quotes on the Woburn Street exterior, lintels, and mortar repairs on the 1911 building. It’s not easy working on a vintage/antique building. Vinyl siding, anyone?
- The Property Committee is researching new contractors to enlarge our pool of prospects for future projects. Having relationships with multiple vendors increases our knowledge and options, and enables us to make better decisions.
- During the late summer or early fall, the Capital Campaign team will be reviewing where our campaign income stands regarding commitments. Again, thanks to all who have been able to stay current with their commitments.
Thank you,
The Capital Campaign Project Management Team
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Mission Ministry is ramping up to assemble kits for Church World Service to distribute to children in the US and beyond. Last year we filled 40 bags. Thank you to all who donated!
Our list of needed items has changed a bit this year. Please note that specific sizes are requested for uniformity.
- Box of 12 colored pencils
- Two pocket folder
- Glue stick
- Blunt-tip scissors (packaging removed)
- 1-70 page wide spiral-bound notebook
- 30-cm/12” ruler
- Hand-held pencil sharpener (packaging removed)
- Large eraser (not pencil top)
- Six new, unsharpened pencils (bundled with a rubber band)
- Box of 24 crayons
- Optional: handmade or store bought pencil pouch.
The sewing group is making needed cloth bags to augment supplies
You can provide all items for a kit or any quantity of individual components.
Shopping for items can be a fun way to feel like you are providing resources for a child.
Not a shopper? Funds to cover costs of items (approximately $15 per bag at full price) and shipping (over $100) can also be donated by check, or using the link below and choosing CWS Kits from the dropdown menu.
https://www.churchofreading.org/donate/
Staples has great sales on many of the needed items through Sat. Other summer back-to-school sales will follow in July and August.
Donations can be dropped off at the church office during the week or on Sundays in the sanctuary collection area.
We plan to assemble the kits in church in early Sept.
Thank you for joining this worthy project.…
Get ready! 🎉 The Olde Redding Faire is celebrating its 68th anniversary on September 27th, 2025!
This isn’t just our biggest fundraiser of the year, it’s a true celebration of community!
Join us for delicious food, fun games, amazing treasures, and a thrilling Silent Auction. Mark your calendars – you won’t want to miss it!
Sign up to get involved at https://tinyurl.com/Olde-Redding-Faire-2025
Reach out out the church office with any questions at 781-944-0205 of office@churchofreading.org.
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Sunday, June 29, worship will be themed around Working Together for Justice and Mercy, a Mark of Faithful & Vital Churches in the UCC Manual on Local Church. The service will focus on prayer, song, and sharing about the work to support immigrants and refugees in our community, with guests from Reading POWIR and Ukrainian Support Project.
Our book group is on hiatus for the summer. We’ll meet next in the fall to discuss both the classic, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and the Pulitzer Prize winning “James” by Percival Everett.
Reach out to the church office at office@churchofreading.org to be added to the email list for meeting information.
This summer, we’re collecting 100 bottles of maple syrup for Reading’s St. Vincent de Paul summer meals program to assist families struggling with food insecurity here in Reading.
In July, as sales begin for school supplies, you’ll hear from Mission Ministry about our annual summer collection for school kits for Church World Service.
In August, we’ll be serving our homeless and unhoused neighbors on Boston Common with Common Cathedral.
Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/churchofreading.
To learn more about First Church or these mission projects reach out to office@churchofreading.org.…
The Reading Food Pantry started in 1983 as a small closet in the Old South United Methodist Church on Salem Street serving a few neighbors. It has now expanded to serving 400+ families in Reading. Did you know that 1 in 3 Massachusetts Adults are Food Insecure? The Pantry has seen a significant increase over the last three years. Increased costs and shortages in donations have led to strain on the overall operation.
From canned goods to flour and sugar to dish soap and toothpaste, the Pantry aims to address the food and personal care needs of Reading neighbors through high-quality, respectful service in a welcoming environment to enhance the community’s well-being.
While most of their inventory comes from direct donations from our community, they also publish lists to Facebook and Amazon Wish Lists. These items can be ordered directly from Amazon and are shipped directly to the Food Pantry.
They always need the following: coffee, tea, flour, sugar, baking soda, cooking oil, lunch packs of fruit, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, and tissues. Donation bins are located near the church office at the end of the hall, and at Stop and Shop and Market Basket in Reading. They also accept donations at the Reading Food Pantry at 6 Salem Street on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6pm at the rear of the building.
Specific needs for June are: Laundry Detergent, Hot Cocoa, Decaffeinated Coffee, Granola Bars and Instant Mashed Potatoes.
One church member shared that she always keeps the list handy when she shops and tries to pick up at least one item for the food pantry. Watch for sales and deals to get more bang for your buck!!
You can donate Items or money. https://www.readingfoodpantry.org/donate
Need help? The Reading Food Pantry is open to serve neighbors on Mondays from 6:30-7:30pm, and Fridays from 10:30-11:30am. …
Join us this Sunday at 10 am as we celebrate Pentecost and our Music Ministries with the Choir, Handbells, and Orchestra.
