Pastor James Richie of the Cassopolis United Methodist Church has been providing meals for community members in need in Vandalia and Cassopolis.

“Helping out other people, even without them being asked,” he said. “We just want to help others and hopefully develop and get more churches and people involved to make things become bigger.”
“Group homes is the area we would like to be able to provide for and help, because lots of people are in need of help, and we just want people to know who we are,” Richie said. “Also, it helps to get to know other people around the area that we do not know. It helps to listen and find out how to help one another who are in need of it.
“Even the kids who are in high school who are looking to go to college, we have ways to help them as well,” Richie said.
Richie explained that many people are unemployed, and asking for help isn’t a bad thing.
“Anyone can provide donations if they choose to,” he said. “This is to help reach out and trying to help others and not just ourselves as people. Getting to know others in the community and those people getting to know us, as well as have a good time, is our goal.”
“One meal a month, maybe even more than one a month — we just want to reach out to help others and help the community grow, so we know who is out there, and so they know we are out there,” he said.
To learn more, visit United Methodist Church, 209 S. Rowland St., Cassopolis, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. It can be reached at (269) 445-3107.