Groceries for Families: Week 62 - Day 2
June 2, 2021
Out came the fans today! The building was wide open at 7am, with fans blowing in the cool morning air. In the afternoon, we took fans out to the grocery area to keep air moving under the canopies a little. Still, it was warm by 8am and hot in the afternoon. The morning was lovely weather for those dropping off groceries and other items. Thank you, everyone! The families kept a slow but steady pace for the afternoon, but then had a big rush in the last 30 minutes. It’s likely they heat-kept people home until the end. Overall, it was a good day in ‘Groceries for Families’.
24-Seven Delivery
Newport Covenant Delivery
Groceries today were provided by Newport Covenant, St. Louise, 24-Seven, Indian Fellowship, Crossroads Bible, Calvary Chapel Eastside, Bellevue Christian Reformed, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Rotary Club of Bellevue, the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 216 orders came in today and all but 24 went out today. The remaining will go out first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today.
Today’s AM Crew
Tomato Plants
The AM crew was from Bellevue Presbyterian today and all were veterans of this shift. They made quick work of all the tasks of the morning, including receiving the many deliveries today. Thank you and well-done crew!
Tomato plants were donated today by a local gardener, Pat Roome, and delivered by a regular volunteer, Linda Igoe. We’ll pass these out to families tomorrow, which will be a welcome gift, for sure. Thank you, Pat and Linda!
Cart of Food
A picture of a grocery cart is to the left, showing the food a family receives now, with the USDA boxes gone.
One bag is the non-perishables brought by a donor this morning. One gallon of milk, also brought by a donor this morning. About 1 pound of frozen meat. One plastic bag packed with eggs, tomatoes, bananas, zucchini, garlic, green pepper, carrots, and lettuce.
Families of 7 or more people receive two orders of each food type. Not pictured is another bag of pantry items added.
Pantry Item List
A picture of a ticket is to the right, we use this each day. It lists all the pantry items available to a family that day. They receive the ticket when they check-in and have a few minutes to circle the items they need. It is then taken by a staff member to pack.
The top items rotates each week from paper towels to laundry pods. Otherwise, the list is consistent each week.
For those of you who donate these pantry items, this is how they get to families at the end of the chain.
A few updates and stories:
We had a woman come to tell us how grateful her family is for the assistance and food. She said they have been to other food banks in the past and always felt like they were getting the oldest and worst food. Most is canned food; nothing is fresh. Here, they feel cared for because the food is fresh and offers them a balanced variety. She also recognizes how much effort is put into making this program run. She was thankful to everyone.
We had a bit of a reunion here today. Jorge is a Jubilee coach at Phantom Lake Elementary. Previously, he was at Big Picture school. A woman in the program recognized him as his daughter’s former soccer coach at Big Picture. They have a nice exchange in the middle of the grocery operation.
A man came to talk to Daniel last Friday about Phase 3. They connected personally by both being from Mexico and liking soccer. Daniel shared a bit about his own dad being stoic, not showing much emotion. The man agreed; he feels it is important he remains strong and not show emotion, so his kids see him that way. Then, moments later, this same man began sobbing as he was telling Daniel about their situation. He was overcome by emotion. He shared how the money they save by the Jubilee program providing them so many essentials has allowed them to not fall behind on many other bills. He even allowed a small gift for his 7-year-old daughter recently, bringing a smile to them both.
Daniel and Trenton have both shared how emotionally draining it has been for them to talk with families. Hearing the personal stories adds weight to their role here. Yes, both have said talking to the families is exactly what we need to be doing. Families are very, very happy to have the chance to share and be heard. They trust us and want to tell their story. Being face to face with them is key. All have been very affirming that this program is working. They know how much thought and care goes into helping them. One person said, “it feels like a party coming to Jubilee.” One woman was a bit more closed off, saying, “you don’t know what I’m going through.” She’s right. Yet, it is good we are all here for her, in whatever way that means for her.
Today’s PM Crew
We’re continuing to communicate with families about the coming next phase of GFF. Notes went into all the grocery bags today reminding them there are two more opportunities to come talk to us, June 4 & 7. One lady asked for an application today. We told her there is no application, just a conversation. It made her smile. She will come Friday. Right now, there are about 75 families which have come to chat.
Thank you for another nice day of ‘Groceries for Families’. Please continue to pray for these families. For sure, we do not know much about what is going on in their daily lives. Hopefully, the small role we all play in their lives is a ray of joy, friendship, happiness, and hope.
Blessings to you all,
Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family
