The first day of week 23 was a nice one all-around, which is always a nice way to start a Monday. The incoming groceries and pantry items kept the crew very busy this morning. The afternoon had a nice long line by 12:45pm, which as great to see. Once we open, the line moves quickly, so no one is out there too long. The weather was very pleasant, with cooler temperatures in the morning and a nice sun in the afternoon. So great!

Groceries today came from Common Good, Lighthouse, Sacred Heart, Bellevue Presbyterian, 24-Seven and Bellevue Christian Reformed churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 117 orders came in today and all went out to families today, including 18 by delivery. Thank you to everyone who donated today!

Food donations were delivered yesterday by volunteers from the Safeway Thrashers Corner in Lynnwood and today by volunteers from QFC Crossroads. Both deliveries were smaller than normal, so we didn’t do a full market. The exit lane tables were full of all sorts of good items. Thank you!

Personal hygiene items were offered to families today, allowing them to choose 3 out of 8 items. Thank you to everyone who helped fill the pantry this past week.

As we shift toward the new version of this program next week, today we started registering all the families for the new program. We made the decision to start fresh, rather than roll everything over, to help clean up the database and ensure accurate information. So, in the market area, families came one by one to talk to Kandan & Alleigha to get their contact information in the system and any special needs they have. This process will continue all week, trying to get as many people preregistered as we can before next Tuesday.

An email from a family:

Muchísimas gracias a todos ustedes por la ayuda que nos brindan, a todos los voluntarios , a las persnos que donan frutas, productos , en fin a todos que se preocupan por el prójimo, es una na gran ayuda especialmente en estos tiempos que la economía y los trabajos escasearon, que Dios les recompense siempre, Gracias y bendiciones para ustedes en Jubilee Reach

Many thanks to all of you for the help you give, to all the volunteers, to the people who donate fruits and products, in all, everyone who cares about their neighbor. It is a great help especially in these times where the economy and the jobs are scarce. May God reward you always. Thank you and blessing to everyone at Jubilee REACH.

A personal thank you from a family:

Many of you have been touched by the story of the Jewish family, they have a strict diet of fruits and vegetables only. Since the spring, we have been sensitive to their needs and come up with special ‘groceries’ for them twice per week. In the spring, this meant going to QFC sometimes. This summer, the bounty of fresh vegetables from local gardeners has been plentiful. Today, husband and wife came to pick up their order, which was quite exceptional compared to normal days. They asked how they could say thank you to the people who provide their special diet orders each week. I suggested a picture and told them I would pass on the thanks in this email. As the husband said today, the food donations have been a miracle they never expected. He said in the spring they had prayed for help, and they now know that this Jubilee program is God’s answer. He is actively looking for a job and hopes to sustain his family again soon. Until then, he is very appreciative of all the people providing the food for their family.

A quick request for a few items we are running very low on unexpectedly: Quarts and Gallon Zip-lock bags.

Next week will bring a few changes to this program, as a new version is started. Here is a quick summary:

Families will come only once per week, instead of twice, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
The USDA will provide food boxes, enough for each family, including dairy, vegetables, fruit and protein. We have placed the order and are quite anxious to learn of the final confirmation. The delivery is set to begin September 1, but we know there may be a delay.
Shoppers will bring a supplemental order of groceries including non-perishables foods and hygiene items. These will be brought to Jubilee each Tue, Wed and Thu morning. The value will be $15-$22 per order, in one bag. The goal is to make it more sustainable, easy, and affordable. Here is the shopping list:
- Chips, 1 bag 7-12 oz.
- Bread, 1 loaf white/wheat
- Chocolate, 1-3 bars, no nuts
- Cereal, 1 box
- Apple Juice, 1-64 oz. bottle
- Flour tortillas, 10 pack
- Corn tortillas, 20-30 pack
- Toilet paper, 2 rolls in a plastic bag
- Hygiene item(s), 1-2 (will rotate weekly)
We know there are more families in the community who are in crisis and hope to have the capacity to help more families. They would come as referrals from the Bellevue School District. As this large “puzzle” comes together, we’ll decide how many more can be brought in to the program.

This is a very quick summary. Reach me if you want more details. Thank you for your continued support of these dear members of the community who need help. We need to stay with them.

Have a great evening,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Groceries for Families: Week 23 - Day 1

Groceries for Families: Week 23 - Day 2

Groceries for Families: Week 22 - Day 6