Shalom Zone promotes peace with God, self


By Sue Huntsman
First UMC, Port Isabel
You are collecting teddy bears? I heard the Chamber of Commerce is going to collect teddy bears. You have Christmas toys for Adopt a Family? Isn’t the fire department and police department doing the same thing? Why?
And then folks come to the church asking, “ Can you help me pay my electric bill?” “We ran out of food. Can you help me?” “Our home burned down. Do you have clothing we can have?”
My answers had to be “No.” “Yes.” “Yes.”
Questions like these prompted the lay leader of First UMC, Port Isabel, Gordon Plunkett, to begin asking his own questions: How do we get around problems like these to help the people?
I was asking, “Where do I send people for help with things other than clothing and food?”
So Gordon and I began a conversation about the development of a Shalom Zone in the Port Isabel area.
“What does it take to do that?” became the question.
The purpose of Shalom Zone is to provide opportunities where individuals and families can seek to restore peace with God, peace with self and peace within the community.
With the various organizations and churches in the community combining resources, we can better help the needy find the peace that is so elusive when you are hungry, when you are in need.
With the help of Love Inc., a directory of all available services provided by Laguna Madre-area churches is being compiled. Next, a listing of all services that Port Isabel churches, various community projects and the different police departments provide will be published.
The idea is not to reinvent the wheel but to help each other strengthen the community through God’s peace by sharing information on services the various organizations and churches provide.