Spring sun shined warmly on a crowded parking lot as neighbors from near and far gathered at the parking lot of Prospect UMC. This gathering was not a one-time event, but part of a monthly rhythm where Prospect UMC, along with ecumenical partners and community organizations, hosts a free farmers market and resource fair.
It all started with a question from a neighboring church: “Can we use your parking lot?” Cheryl Daly, from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, consistently had excess food from her church’s Blessings Bags ministry. She dreamed of hosting a free pop-up farmers market, but her church didn’t have a suitable space.
She reached out to Shelli Flowers Towey at Prospect UMC, who led a monthly soup luncheon, and asked, “Can we give produce away when you do your soup?” Towey in turn asked her pastor, the Rev. Sterling Eaton, who immediately said yes. From that single moment of gracious hospitality, a brand-new ministry—Hope Thru Wholeness—was born.
God is doing amazing things with this initiative.
Two years later, the farmers market has grown exponentially. “God is doing amazing things with this initiative,” Rev. Eaton remarked. “Nonprofits hear about it and want to be a part of what we have going on. Now more than 40 vendors and nonprofits are part of the network of people who show up to nurture the community.”
At the April event, organizations like the local library, St. Stephen’s, Family Support Line, and Helping Hands were present to share what they had been given with the community. But nonprofits weren’t the only ones populating the tables—individuals also came to share their gifts and uplift others.
One such individual was Bea Woodard. A regular volunteer at St. Stephen’s, Woodard heard about Broad Street Love’s mending service and was inspired to use her sewing talents to help anyone in need. She sat at her table mending sweatpants and altering a woman’s dress. “I help anyone who wanders in and needs sewing. I do my best. I do seams and repairs.”
God Provides in the Face of Government Budget Cuts
Two Philadelphia-area food rescues—Share and Share Excess—purchase produce directly from farmers. But $8 million in food support for the state of Pennsylvania was recently slashed from the federal budget. These cuts hurt both farmers and the organizations trying to help.
At the April market, four pallets of food that were supposed to be delivered never arrived. “Food is going to be rotting on the vine,” lamented Rev. Eaton.
Rev. Eaton and Ms. Towey are concerned about how these cuts will affect their ministry. They are working on building a relationship with Caring for Friends, another group that donates food but does not provide delivery—a challenge for the small congregation, which lacks a pickup truck. They plan to use their Journey of Wholeness grant to supplement the food they receive from other sources.
Still, they place their hope in God’s providence. “We are working it out; we are working through it. The support from the neighborhood is amazing.”
Partnerships Expand Community Witness and Church Membership
God is indeed working things out for Prospect UMC. The church recently began a partnership with the nonprofit Delco Helping Hands, which supports mothers and children in need. The organization began during COVID in the home of founder Pauline Butcher. She started a Facebook page where mothers could post what they needed. As requests and donations grew, Helping Hands eventually needed a physical space.
Prospect UMC had empty rooms available. Butcher asked if her organization could rent the space, and a new missional partnership was born.
The relationship didn’t stop there. Butcher found friends and mentors within the Prospect UMC faith community. Eventually, she and a few Helping Hands members began attending Sunday worship, finding joy and inspiration in Rev. Eaton’s sermons.
“I love it so much I take notes. I try to find what the Word is,” Butcher said. A few of Rev. Eaton’s lines really hit home for her:
“If somebody is searching—be their answer.”
“Why am I stressed if this is a mess? Just clean it up.”
Butcher added, “I try to live the notes.”
Wholeness sparks gratitude and awe at the grace of God
Rev. Eaton sees the progression from community member to friend to church member as a natural outgrowth of the Hope Thru Wholeness initiative. “Wholeness is not just physical but also spiritual. You need to focus on the whole person. Take the focus off of filling the pews, and focus on filling their hearts. When you have that relationship, that’s when people open up.”
As the market continues to grow and the partnerships deepen, Rev. Eaton has his eyes on the next horizon. He is working towards a health symposium in the fall with immunization clinics, a dental truck, and CPR and First Aid classes.
Prospect UMC stands as a living example of what can happen when faith meets action. What began as a simple question—“Can we use your parking lot?”—has blossomed into a vibrant ministry that feeds bodies, nurtures spirits, and builds lasting relationships. In a world facing deep divisions and growing needs, Hope Thru Wholeness reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful transformation begins with an open heart, a shared table, and the willingness to say “yes.”