Groceries for Families: Week 13 - Day 5
It felt like summer today with the heat of the sun warming the morning and keeping the afternoon toasty. So great for those who like to be warm. For sure, those of us working were sweaty at 1:00pm and kept it up all afternoon. The families were in the sun, when outside the canopies, but we got the line moving quickly, so they weren’t out there long. Families have definitely learned to pace their arrival depending on how long the line is. Smart.
Jubilee Friends Delivery
BelPres Delivery
Groceries today came from Crossroads Bible, Evangelical Chinese, Covenant Presbyterian, Westminster Chapel and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 172 orders came in and all went out to families today, including 7 by delivery. It was a great morning of incoming orders. Thank you to all who participated today.
Today’s Market
The market was nice and full today.
Blue Plate Catering came one last time, bringing burritos, pancakes, fish sandwiches and frozen smoothies.
There were lots of canned beans and vegetables, as well as dry beans. There were potatoes, lettuce, onions, apples and a little bit of yogurt.
You may recall Fridays are a lunch delivery day to 25 senior citizens in the community.
Lunches are purchased by the Bellevue Fire Department and brought to Jubilee REACH at 10:30am.
Today, volunteers from the National Charity League delivered them all to the homes. See to the right for picture. So great! Thank you all.
Senior Lunch Delivery
Personal stories from Ken:
You may remember hearing about a mom with seven kids, in the past. She wrote a lovely email in early May you can reference back on May 4th of this blog chain. She was always very early to arrive because she needed a shady spot next to the building because she had her three young children with her. Around Mother’s Day, she stopped showing up, which we all noticed. By Memorial Day we had reached out to her to check in, learning that she was simply overwhelmed with life and seven kids to come to Jubilee REACH any longer. She has her own mental issues, which she is very open about, which makes even simple things difficult. We quickly started delivering groceries to her, and Daniel has now done so twice a week ever since. He reported today that she and the kids are doing fine. They actually miss coming to Jubilee REACH and hope to return one day. The groceries are a life-saver for her and the delivery is a huge blessing. One of the kids asked Daniel if it would be possible for a little more chocolate to be included each week. His mom quickly hushed him up, but we can certainly accommodate that request. Starting next week, we’re going to be adding a third bag for them, custom made to their needs. She needs help, and this program is helping sustain them through this tough time. Thank you, everyone!
Back on June 6th, I shared the story of a woman who’s husband had a seizure. She was very worried. We’ve not seen her back here since, which as us concerned. Her normal days are Wed & Sat, so we hope to see her tomorrow. We sent her an email today to check-in. I’ll keep you posted.
Today’s PM Crew
This week has cruised along smoothly. Every day brings new stories and opportunities to build stronger relationships with families. When people ask if we had a good day, the response is always yes. Days are measured by 8, 9, and 10’s. That’s the small variance realized over here. Thank you for all each of you do to make that possible. That includes prayer. Please pray for this operation, especially as we transition to summer. Pray for the families. Pray the virus stays away from this place and the working crew. Just pray.
Enjoy the warmth of the evening. Tomorrow is Saturday, so the operation starts early.
Blessings to you all,
Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family
