Groceries for Families: Week 38 - Day 3
December 17, 2020
Thursday has had slightly lower attendance numbers the past two weeks, so we were watching today anxiously. Quite a few Thursday people came earlier in the week, so that also was a factor. Happily, attendance today was strong. The line was long at the beginning and nearly emptied by 1:45pm, but people kept coming to the rest of the afternoon. The line stayed strong, yet not too long. We were able to give out a lot of food today, which always feels good. The morning of donations being dropped off was steady. There was even a person waiting as we unlocked the parking lot gate at 7:00am. The weather was very pleasant, with no rain or wind and a tolerable temperature. Great way to end the week!
Doxa Delivery
Sacred Heart Delivery
Groceries today were brought by Sacred Heart School & Parish, Bellevue Presbyterian, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Highland Covenant, First United Methodist, Doxa, Crossroads Bible, and Lighthouse churches, as well as the Rotary Bellevue Sunrise Club, Champions Foundation, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 176 orders came in today and all went out to families, along with another 38 carried over from yesterday, for a total of 214. Thank you to everyone who donated today!
The AM volunteers came from Crossroads Bible Church this morning. This group managed a very busy morning of incoming groceries, pantry items, deliveries, and packing food boxes. They worked hard and had a lot of fun. Thank you, crew!
Today’s AM Crew
Gift bags were handed out by volunteers on the third and final “Ladies Day”. These lovely bags were created by the Women’s Ministry at Crossroads Bible Church to celebrate the women in this grocery program and help make them feel appreciated. Ruth and Debbie had fun handing them out, catching nearly everyone by surprise. Thank you, CBC!
A delivery of diapers came via volunteers from Eastside Baby Corner. This is their last delivery, as EBC needs to pull back a bit. This wonderful partner and longtime Eastside cornerstone have been supporting this program since the spring. Thank you for the many, many boxes of diapers and other items which have been provided through EBC for the families.
El Dios Viviente Methodist Church
As is common on Thursdays when the week ends, our Seattle partner, El Dios Viviente Methodist Church, came at 4pm with two vehicles to take the remaining food boxes, fresh vegetables, and bakery goods. Pastor Gerardo is leading an effort to support 400 families in his neighborhood and community. We have been blessed to have a deep relationship with him since the spring. As an extra surprise for his own families, all the remaining gift bags were also given to him to pass to the ladies. He was very happy and said he had been looking for something special to provide to the women. Please pray for him and their operation in West Seattle. It has become a critical lifeline for so many people. Gerardo is on the right in the picture.
Check In Station
A picture is to the left shows the check-in station. Here, Denisse works to check people’s grocery ID cards and admit them to today’s operation. She is the point person for the whole operation and is on the front lines. There is a wind screen to keep the wind & rain out. There is a heater to keep her warm. Yet, it is a difficult and very important job she does. She does it very well.
A few stories to share:
Jubilee Elves, the Christmas program being offered to families this year, will be handing out all the gifts tomorrow and Saturday. The funding goals were met 100% and matched by an anonymous donor to support 500 families. Wow! Thank you to all who donated and participated this year.
Mercedes received her gift bags today. Especially in the Hispanic community, it is very common for one person to pick up groceries for one, two, three or, in Mercedes case today, four other families. They share the effort to make it easier for everyone. In her hand are five gift bags. In her tiny car were 5 full orders of groceries, which is a lot. We had to pack it very well to get it to fit. She was so happy and was delighted to share the gift bags with her friends soon after. Mercedes has been with us for many months, since the spring. The beginning relationship was actually a little rough but since then it has really become very strong. She is a delightful person and we love when she is here. Please pray for her family. She said life remains very hard for them.
The Bellevue Fire Department pulled into the parking lot early this morning with a pumper truck and ladder truck. Wow, what a sight! Surprisingly, the fire fighters piled out with 20 grocery orders in hand to donate today. This wasn’t expected, so was a lot of fun to receive. Thank you!
By the end of the week, this place looks a bit beaten up. So much food and other inventory move through the building and outside patio area. It is an awesome system that looks a bit like controlled chaos, but it is a well-oiled operation, for sure. Yet, it leaves a wake of debris behind it and by Thursday afternoon it is quite a mess. At 3:30pm today, volunteers showed up to tackle it all. By 5:00pm, it looks just beautiful. The back entrance where all the food production and market area reside is right now a clean, empty space with just lights and holiday decorations. It looks just great and is so satisfying to see it closed down tightly for the quiet weekend. It feels good right now.
Today’s PM Crew
Thank you for a wonderful week. There are 700+ families (3100+ people) out there in the community right now who have food, diapers, hygiene, and pantry items. Beyond that, they know someone cares about them and there is a community that sees them and is holding them up during this difficult time. May they also feel hope. May they also feel this community is home. May they feel they belong. May they feel safe. May they feel joy in this season. May they feel loved. Yes, may it be so.
Merry Christmas to you all, dear friends,
Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family
