The Dalles UMC woman honored for hunger advocacy

Sharon Thornberry was recognized as by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon with their Ecumenical Serve Award at a Benefit Dinner and Award Celebration held Wednesday, May 16 at the Benson Hotel. Thornberry is a member of The Dalles First United Methodist Church and works for the Oregon Food Bank as Rural Community Liaison.
 
The award was presented in recognition of her dedication and leadership to eliminate hunger and its root causes from Oregon’s communities. This has been shown not only in her work at Oregon Food Bank, but in her support of Bread for the World, where she currently is a board member, her key role in the Bishop’s Initiative to Eliminate Hunger in the Oregon-Idaho Conference, and her support of other organizations such as Ten River Food Web, Philomath Community Services and the Community Food Security Coalition.
 
In her acceptance comments Thornberry shared her thank for the award, and her thanks to God for giving her a live of experiences that led to working for justice. “There’s more that brings us together than brings us apart.” She said as she challenged those in attendance to, “come together and not let our voices be silent and to stand up for what is right.”
 
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) is a covenant membership organization dedicated to respond to God's call to the unity of all people. Engaging together in a ministry of peace, reconciliation, justice and the healing of God's creation, EMO finds common ground among diverse religious traditions and acts together to create a future filled with hope for every Oregonian. The Oregon-Idaho Conference of The United Methodist Church is one of 15 member denominations of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. Learn more at emoregon.org.