Today begins week 9, and it’s great to be on this adventure with you all. This morning was busy, busy with many deliveries of groceries, diapers, and bulk items. It was controlled chaos, with everyone just staying focused until it was all smoothed out. Thank you to everyone who was here today! The weather was just great, which always sets a good mood.

Groceries were provided today by 24-Seven, Bellevue Christian Reformed, Sacred Heart, Lighthouse, Bellevue Presbyterian, Rain City, CityHill, and Common Good churches. A total of 159 grocery orders were brought here and all went out to families, including 17 by delivery. Thank you!

So many diapers have been arriving, including a diaper drive-by BelPres Church, that we had to rearrange the storage area in the Big Room. Liz and Lois spent this morning moving all the boxes, finishing just in time for more to be added.

Truly, it is so much better now in the new space. Thank you to everyone who has been donating!

Last week we were introduced to a contact at Sysco of Seattle, which opened a new door for bulk food donations. This morning at 7:00am a Sysco semi-truck pulled into the Jubilee REACH parking lot bringing five pallets of chips and juice. It is now in a board room just off the lobby and will go out to families all week. Sysco will be bringing donations once per week and will bring whatever they can for variety. Thank you!

A few quick personal stories to share from Ken:

Part of my role is to greet people, welcome them, and ask them how their families are doing. It goes a long way toward building relationships. There are lots of faces I know and a few names. Today, a woman was in line for the market who is a regular and is always very friendly and happy. As she responded to me, it was clear something wasn’t right. The answer to how her family is doing was very flat. Coming closer, she started to cry and shared her mother had just passed away in Mexico. She simply went to sleep and woke up again in heaven. She last saw her on FaceTime the day before, as they did every day. Being with her, even for a brief moment, in her grief, made me realize real life is still going on for these families. Even with the concern of food and COVID-19, there is real life, like the passing of an 83-year-old mother thousands of miles away. It was a blessing to share that moment with her.

There is a mother and 10-year-old daughter who have been coming for 2-3 weeks. They’re not Hispanic and wear clothing which tells me they are Muslim, so they stand out a bit. The mother is very quiet and can be very, very unpleasant. Her actions and words have come across to me as selfish. For example, she doesn’t feel like she should stand in line like everyone else. It’s also clear they aren’t thrilled with the groceries provided. I will admit to not feeling very hospitable to her. Today, I vowed to change my attitude and work to build a bridge. As they were in line, perhaps 30 from the front, I greeted them like everyone else. When they got near the front, I approached them and asked if there were any specific food items I could watch out for them to collect. The mother said her husband told her to just bring everything in the groceries. Clarifying, I asked what they want more of. She said they really only eat vegetables and prefer anything green. Everything else, they share with other families in their community. Going inside the market storage area, I found 4 green peppers, some onions, and small potatoes. As I handed it to them, they lit up with smiles. The young daughter was very excited. You’d think I gave them some incredible gift. I told them I would watch for more vegetables for them. Now, the mom was very friendly. She smiled (though the mask), thanked me, and said she’d see me Thursday. A bridge seems to have been built and a friendship started. I’m looking forward to Thursday, now. Really cool feeling.

Thanks for all your prayers for these families and this program. Please pray that the virus stays away from this place. We work hard to keep safety and health in mind always.

Thank you for all you’re doing to support these dear members of the community.

Have a great evening,
Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Groceries for Families: Week 9 - Day 1

Groceries for Families: Week 9 - Day 2

Groceries for Families: Week 8 - Day 6