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agape house

Lutheran - Episcopal Campus Ministry
at San Diego State University

radical welcome
rooted in faith
mercy and justice
growth in community

  • Wednesday Dinner In A Time Of Social Distance: An Update from Agape House

    27 Mar 2020 1:46 PM | Agape House Administrator (Administrator)

    P​eace and grace to you from the Staff and Board of Agape House,

    Wednesday night was different, Wednesday night was special. Thanks to you, Wednesday night was a success! 

    Because SDSU students were asked to leave, because we want to abide by social distancing rules and because we want all to be safe, Agape House didn't hold our regularly scheduled Wednesday Night Dinners. Instead we provided two full meals, one ready to eat and one ready for another day. Staff also prepared and handed out emergency packs of easy to prepare foods. In total, 43 meals were prepared for 21 people and 4 emergency packs were distributed. (A total of 14 emergency food packs have been distributed 3/16-3/27.)

    I​t was a wild week of planning and questioning, of unplanning and planning again. "Should we do this," "should we do that," "do they need it now or next week?" Who is here, how do we find them, what is the need? In the end we decided to do something!

    • S​hout out to Antoine for staying in contact and reaching out to students in need.

    • S​hout out to Rachel for getting food donations from restaurants and the Cupboard at 54th.

    • S​hout out to Isabelle for planning and shopping for two delicious meals; Bacon Mac n’ Cheese with Cornbread ,and Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes. Both with vegan options! 

    • S​hout out to both Antoine and Isabelle for preparing and packaging the meals.

    • S​hout out to Antoine and Rachel for delivering the meals directly to students.

    • S​hout out to Abdul for cleaning up...amen!


    I​tems needed to create the emergency food packs include the following non-perishables in original packaging:

    SMALL/MEDIUM size containers (cans):

    • soup (vegetarian or meat, stew, chili, ideally in pull-top cans)

    • precooked rice packets

    • pasta/sauce

    • peanut butter/jelly

    • refried or black beans

    • canned or serving-size vegetables and fruit (e.g., applesauce)

    • mac and cheese mix with sauce (not powdered)

    • instant oatmeal

    • saltine or other crackers (we can divide big boxes by separately wrapped bunches)

    • tortilla chips

    • granola/nut bars or trail mix

    • cookies

    • canned tuna or chicken

    • canned/shelf stable milk 

    • dry cereals

    • small salt and pepper

    • hot sauce or salsa

    Also needed:

    • toilet paper

    • menstruation products

    If you have items to donate, please call Agape House at 619-583-3972  to arrange a time for drop off. 

    We know that getting out to shop is difficult so if you’d like to contribute directly and let us do the shopping, go to https://www.agapehousesdsu.org/page-18064 to donate. 

    With great appreciation for God’s gifts to us through you,

    Agape House Staff and Board



"Avocado Resilience: What is this tree teaching you?"
~ by Darin Johnson, Campus Pastor
     [Jesus] told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” - Luke 13.6-9
     About six years ago, we planted this avocado tree at Agape House​--the first hopeful step into our new communal garden. It struggled through salt burn from horse manure. It gave us a couple of small avocados once, but just languished. Then a vandal sadly snapped its trunk in half. We were sure it would die...and it was dead to all appearances. Slowly a shoot came from the dry stump, but I sure assumed it would never produce fruit again.
     Nevertheless, we faithfully watered and composted around this avocado tree in trust and hope. Then another major impact hit--shade for most of the year from the new dorm next door and parking structure built right by the tree. Again, I assumed it would surely never produce fruit in shade almost all year--this photo is still just coming out of the shade at 10:40am! However, I was wrong yet again--you can see new avocados growing (a dozen!). What is this tree teaching you?
     “Ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In [God's] hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being." Job 12.7-10

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