Rev. Gail Arnold presented the 2013 Streams of Justice Award to Rev. Sara Nelson of Watertown First Church, Watertown, South  for the People Against Child Hunger (PACH) program she founded in 2010.  The presentation was made on Friday morning, June 7, 2013  during the Dakotas Annual Conference proceedings in Bismarck, North Dakota.
 
The PACH program has continued to grow in the Watertown community.  The program works with school staff to provide complimentary snacks and meals to students who may need an additional food resource over the weekends during the school year.  While this program is a ministry of charity, it is also directly addressing the injustice issue of child food insecurity and hunger in the Watertown area.

Pastor Sara has helped mobilize her community and her congregation to respond in a meaningful way.  With PACH’s success, this young community organization has become a resource for other communities looking to tackle child hunger.  PACH is likely to influence other individuals and groups--to begin seeking systemic solutions to poverty, hunger, and other justice issues.
   
Along with the travelling trophy, PACH receives a gift of $500 and Pastor Sara receives a Poverty and Justice edition Bible published by the American Bible Society.   PACH was nominated by Rev. Karl Kroger of Southeast Pierre Ministries.
Other ministries of justice nominated this year were Tree of Life, Haiti Solar Ovens Partners, and Pastor Dan & Sheila Freed in Dickinson. The Peace and Justice Focus Team of the Connectional Link of the Dakotas Conference lifts up all these ministries and encourages the people of the Dakotas to support them with their prayers and donations.