Groceries for Families: Week 36 - Day 3
This week ends on a perplexing note, with the second day in a row having below normal attendance for families. Like yesterday, at least 35 families more than normal didn’t come today. This is much more than seen before and was very apparent at the pace of the day. We aren’t sure of the exact reason. We won’t overreact, as it isn’t a trend yet, but will definitely watch it closely. Besides this, the day was another lovely one in the ‘Groceries for Families’ program. Lots of shoppers came all morning with groceries, pantry items, and hygiene items. The weather was overcast but still dry, yet the cold never did go away today.
Champions Foundation Delivery
Crossroads Bible Delivery
Groceries today came from the Champions Foundation, Rotary Bellevue Sunrise Club, and the Jubilee Friends group, as well as Bellevue Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, Highland Covenant, First United Methodist, Doxa, Sacred Heart School & Parish, and Lighthouse churches. A total of 186 orders came in today and all but 31 went out to families. The remaining will be held over for Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who donated today.
Yesterday, the International School in Bellevue delivered a load of pantry and hygiene items from a drive done at their school. They did a great job of engaging their community to support the grocery program. They will be doing two more in the coming weeks, too. Thank you, Arty and your crew!
192 Food Boxes
Yesterday, we also went to Farmer Frog in Woodinville to pick up 100 extra food boxes of perishable items. The 192 delivered daily just hasn’t been enough, so we’re proactively getting a bit more each week so we don’t run out. Thank you, Ed, for the pick-up and delivery!
Today’s AM Crew
The AM crew were volunteers from Bellevue Christian Reformed Church. They worked hard to receive all the groceries and building the food boxes. Lots were happening here today. Thank you BCRC crew!
Crossroads Bible Church has been donating about 700 pounds of rice and 500 pounds of beans a week in November and December. This gets portioned out into individual bags by volunteers for the families. Today, Ed picked up a load at CBC and the BCRC volunteers unloaded it at Jubilee. Thank you, CBC for these generous and meaningful donations!
Eastside Baby Corner Delivery
Eastside Baby Corner donated diapers today, which has been a weekly blessing since the spring. This is a wonderful partner in Issaquah which has helped support the families each week. Thank you, EBC, and thank you Theresa for picking up!
Pastor Gerardo from El Dios Viviente Methodist Church in White Center, Seattle came today at 4:00pm. We have been in partnership with him since the spring, as he supports his congregation and community through food. Together, we are supporting 300 additional families there. Today, volunteers loaded his van with lots of fresh produce, extra food boxes, and more. Thank you, Gerardo!
A story from today, told by Ken:
About 2:00pm, a woman from one of the families asked to speak to me, so we gathered just inside the doors. Her name is Nan, and her family has been in the program since September, coming on Tuesdays. She lives nearby with her husband, mother, 9-year-old son, and 3-year-old daughter, who was with her today. She and her mom have been sewing faces masks, and she wanted to provide some to the crew as gifts. Having only come on Tuesdays, she noticed today’s crew were different people, so quickly acknowledged she didn’t bring enough masks for everyone. As she handed me the 10 beautifully wrapped masks, she pointed out a ‘sticky-note’ thank you note written by her son. (A scan of the five small notes is attached.) She said she had been wanting to send a full thank you email for some time but not gotten to it yet. Her family wanted to thank everyone for the food support these past three months. As she began to talk, she began to cry, and it was clear her thank you was going to be much deeper. As she spoke through the tears very clearly, she shook her head in amazement at the incredible care and support her family has received. The food they receive has sustained them and made a horrible situation tolerable and even a bit normal. She shared her joy that the food they receive is actually fresh, nutritious, balanced, and normal food they would get themselves. She remains stunned each week at the quality, as she would normally have expected low quality, expiring food only. Her tears flowed as she continued by saying that not only do they receive such wonderful food, but they also receive diapers, hygiene items, cleaning items, and more. How can this be!? They need these things and can’t believe they are provided. She expressed incredible gratitude that the staff continues to serve every week, despite the incredible personal risk the staff faces. How can this staff come to serve people they don’t even know while putting themselves in harm’s way? She knows we all have families and lives of our own. That people would do this is unbelievable. Beyond this, the staff does it will joy and happiness, quickly pointing to Maggie dancing and singing nearby to the music, to make her point. To know people in this community are giving so much to support her family and many others is so very hard to understand. She expressed their deep, deep gratitude. Life is very, very hard, and what they get at Jubilee is life-giving. She loves coming to Jubilee each week. It is a safe place, and it feels so good to come here. She finds happiness and hope and feels cared for by real people.
It was all I could do to stand there and listen, without reaching out to embrace her in love. She poured out her heart to me (& you) through tears and a very steady voice. In minutes, she summarized exactly why this program exists and echoed back what it can do. Wow.
Nan was born in San Diego and moved to Seattle 20 years ago. Her parents are from Acapulco, Mexico. In January, a very close friend was deported, which shattered the family. The woman’s 6 months old baby came to live with them and has mostly remained since. She doesn’t know when the woman and her baby will be reunited. Life is so very hard.
Please receive all of her love and thanks, as we (all of us together) are impacting her family through this program. Thank you.
Today’s PM Crew
Hopefully, this sweet story and testimony grab your heart. There are many more out there just like it. This program is special, unique and so very necessary right now. Where else should we all be, if not here? What else should we all be doing, if not this? This is exactly where we are called to be. Thank you for being a part of it.
Bless you all,
Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family
