July 14, 2021

The second try at the new Phase 3 operation brought some small changes but mostly stayed the same as last week. Feedback from families and volunteers was very positive about the experience. They like the slower pace, opportunities for choices, and personal interaction. We’ll keep adjusting and improve as we go forward, but we’ve definitely found something very positive in the current setup.

The weather today was very helpful for the operation. The morning was cool and cloudy, which makes setting up food outside better. The warmth of the day came later and gave way to a nice afternoon. Yesterday’s drop-off was very smooth, with lots and lots of happy people dropping off groceries and pantry items all morning. Thank you, everyone. Today had families slowly arriving in the morning and getting much busier in the afternoon. When it gets busy, there is a bottleneck around the pantry/milk station, which we’ll work to iron out. Overall, it was a great week, with lots of food & essentials going home with families.

The list of those providing groceries and produce is unchanged. It’s lengthy because all are on one day now:

Churches: 24-Seven, Bellevue Christian Reformed, Bellevue Presbyterian, Calvary Chapel Eastside, Cornerstone Fellowship, Covenant Presbyterian, Creekside Covenant, Crossroads Bible, Doxa, First United Methodist, Newport Covenant, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Sacred Heart, St. Louise, St. Madeleine Sophie, Victory Court, Westminster Chapel

Other Partners: Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, Champions Foundation, Jubilee Friends, Kiwanis of Bellevue, Rotary Bellevue Sunrise

We’re continuing to receive donations from local stores, delivered by volunteers, which we want to always acknowledge and thank. Food from Safeway Thrasher’s Corner was brought by Dale & Kathy. Food from Whole Foods Bellevue was brought by Fred. Food from QFC Crossroads was brought by Gil, Mike and Kyle. Food from Trader Joes was brought by Fred. Food from a local distributor was brought by Mike & Gil. Thank you, everyone.

The AM crew on Tuesday was from Overlake Park Presbyterian Church. All were returning veterans of the shift and worked hard to receive all the incoming deliveries. Some of the grocery store orders need to be sorted, which takes some time. The crew did great. Thank you!

Food boxes from the WSDA arrived today just before 10:00am. Unlike last week when we weren’t sure what to expect, today we were prepared for them. The three pallets of 50 boxes were quickly in place and wrapped in insulating blankets. There was a nice selection of dairy, produce and chicken in each box. All of the items are 100% from the state of Washington. Next week, a 4thpallet will be added as families enter from the waiting list.

rundown of each in order: 1) dish soap and cooking oil, 2) non-perishables, 3) food boxes, 4) pantry items & milk, 5) sandwiches from a distributor, 6) grocery bags, 7) fresh produce, 8) market miscellaneous, 9) bakery from stores, 10) loaves of bread from stores.

Wanting to find a way to keep perishable foods in the market areas cold, we found a countertop refrigeration unit at a local restaurant supply company in Bellevue.

A generous couple purchased it for the operation. Thank you! (a picture is on the left) The store manager was so moved by the story of ‘Groceries for Families’ that he called the manufacturer to ask if they had any other returned units. Indeed, they have four! The manufacturer is donating them to GFF and shipping them to Bellevue.

We’ll likely just have to pay the freight cost. Wow! This will ensure we can keep cold foods at a safe temperature.

Senior lunches went out to 28 people in the community yesterday. A tasty meal of a beef noodle casserole was cooked by Barb and packed with lots of extra goodies. Thank you to Barb, Theresa, and Sheri for delivering. We’ve lost a few people in the program recently due to moving, diet restrictions, etc. We’ll be looking to add some new seniors in the coming weeks.

St. Monica Catholic Church returned at 3:30pm today to pick up all remaining market foods, food box items, and other extras. They are able to get it to families in the outlying communities tonight and tomorrow. Renewal Food Bank brought 12 boxes of loaves of bread and bakery items this afternoon, which also went with St. Monica’s. Thank you, Jo and Mary.

Some of you have asked about El Dios Viviente in White Center. They are also receiving WSDA boxes each Wednesday. In fact, the Medosweet truck goes from Jubilee to El Dios Viviente directly. We’re able to put extra things on the truck for Pastor Gerardo to utilize. They are supporting 250 families currently.

Denisse is on vacation this week, so her spot was filled nicely by Sarah, who is a Jubilee REACH Site Coach at Enatai Elementary. Daniel prepared her well, and she did a great job today. Thank you, Sarah!

A few stories:

If you’re been reading this email for a while, you’ll recall the Jewish families we enjoyed in the program and profiled in this email a number of times. They exited the program five months ago when David secured a contract job at Microsoft. He surprised us by showing up at Jubilee today in the middle of the operation. The five-month contract ended, so he is again unemployed until something similar comes again. He had no idea about Phase 3, so was surprised to see the new operation. We let him go through the operation, so they have food and added them to the waiting list. It was great to see him but sad to see they are in need of help again.

Shahin was also here for groceries today. She is also volunteering nearly every Monday at Jubilee. She’s found a good community here and seems to gain energy by being around people she knows. Her daughter will be 17 later this month. It’s been about 4.5 months since her husband died on February 28. Please continue to pray for her.

Arturo is a man who joined GFF over the winter and has continued in Phase 3. He is single but helps his mother and sister’s family with the food he receives. He seems to have studied the GFF operation and today commented on how quickly things pivoted in July. He is very appreciative of the organized operation and the manner in which food is provided. He expressed his thanks to everyone who donates to make this possible.

Maria brought a Mexican corn & zucchini dish today. Her knee has healed from an operation this spring, but she is still unsteady on her feet. We’re blessed that her cooking skills have not diminished.

Angelina brought the crew another round of El Salvadoran beef tacos today. They disappeared over the afternoon and are a crew favorite, for sure.

Lily took three boxes of sandwiches to the homeless in downtown Seattle. She is official “The Sandwich Lady” to many people, who now anticipate her arrival. She said there were a lot of people there today.

More families came this week than last week. There are still 161 in the new program. Last Friday, we began inviting some of the 85 waiting list families to come talk with Trenton and Daniel on Friday and Monday, so we can learn more of their individual stories. This is the same step the initial 161 before phase 3 started. We’ll continue with the discussions this Friday and next Monday. The expectation is to invite those with the highest need into the program beginning next week. We feel a capacity of 200 families can be supported right now with groceries and within the operation.

If you have any questions about Phase 3 or the new operation, please reply back. If you’re interested in coming to watch the Wednesday operation, just email, so we can give you some instructions and expect to see you. Thank you for all you’re doing to support this ‘Groceries for Families’ program. Prayer is so vitally important and is what has sustained us all. Please continue to keep it all in your prayers. May your heart stay connected and may your own life be changed through it.

Blessings to you all,

Ken & Trenton
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Groceries for Families: Week 68

Groceries for Families: Week 67