Pastor sets course for Israel and West Bank
Dallas Huskey
For The Sentinel
Kimmy Meinecke, current pastor of Christ the King Church in Goldendale, will soon be embarking on a long-awaited trip to Israel. There she will be one of two Americans helping the people of the Palestine Occupied Territories located on the west bank of Israel to a better life experience.
Meinecke is going to Israel on behalf of a program called Ecumenical Accompaniment Program (EAPPI). EAPPI is a program linking the World Council of Churches, comprised of various denominations yet all holding the same central Christian beliefs. Meinecke will be an ecumenical accompanier, providing protective presence to vulnerable communities, monitoring and reporting human rights abuses, and supporting Palestinians and Israelis working together for peace. The mission will be working to find peaceful solutions to the problems of the citizens on the west bank. For example, the Palestinians living there often experience harassment from soldiers and settlers of the area. Each day the citizens are required to pass checkpoints, either to go to work, go to school, or simply just travel to see a relative. It’s difficult to visit family due to road conditions and checkpoints. Meinecke’s job will be to help find a solution to this struggle.
Other problems Meinecke will be addressing include water supply, land confrontations, and human rights concerns. “There is a way to find a peaceful solution to these problems, with my faith,” Meinecke says, “I believe we are to work for peace and justice, and to appreciate the work from peace and justice.”
Besides her missions trip, Meinecke will also be looking forward to “getting know people, know what it’s like to live there [in the west bank], and being a part of the Palestinian community, not just being a tourist, but actually an occupant of the area. I want to find out what it’s like to just simply go to the market. I want to experience the more intimate side of living and not just visiting.”
Upon her return, Meinecke does not plan to live in Goldendale, where she has been the pastor at Christ the King for eight years. During her absence, an interim pastor will be selected temporarily until in time the church searches for another new pastor to be selected permanently.
Although she will not be returning here to stay, Meinecke plans to come back to share a presentation reflecting her trip to Israel. The presentation will be one she hopes to share with churches in states all across the country. She looks forward to “being able to share the presentation and experience with the world.”
Food drive raises $75,000 for local food banks
Riverview Community Bank announced its annual food drive efforts raised $75,000 in cash and food donations, including a $6,750 contribution from the Bank. Over 19.5 tons of food was collected in Riverview’s 17 branches this winter, benefitting nine food banks throughout Southwest Washington and Oregon.
The Bank started the Riverview Fill-A-Bag program five years ago in Stevenson to help fulfill the food bank demand in Skamania County. Since that inaugural year, Riverview has expanded the program to White Salmon and Goldendale, plus Aumsville, Oregon. Co-sponsors of the effort include IGA, Byers Realty, and The Goldendale Sentinel, Holcomb’s Sentry Market, The Enterprise and The Harvest Market by Thriftway in White Salmon, the Skamania County Pioneer and A&J Select Market in Stevenson. Working with its partners, Riverview designed and printed custom grocery bags which were then inserted into the local newspaper. The Bank and several sponsors collected the food for the local food bank, so all donations stayed within the community.
A record breaking year, Riverview’s Goldendale branch and customers raised over 12,000 pounds of food, plus $1,300 in donations for the Goldendale Food Bank. Riverview will donate an additional $900 to the Goldendale Food Bank bringing the total contribution to nearly $21,000 in cash and value.
“In the last five years, the Fill-A-Bag program has grown larger and larger each year, with the help of our community partners. The generosity in our local community is amazing and greatly appreciated,” said Goldendale branch manager, Cindy Furlong.
“We started this program, because while Clark County’s Walk ’n’ Knock program has been a major food drive for decades, it didn’t reach Klickitat and Skamania Counties,” said Goldendale branch manager Cindy Furlong.
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