GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

Supporting families affected by the pandemic with food, hygiene items, and other necessities

Jubilee REACH Communications 10/14/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 10/14/20

Groceries for Families: Week 29 - Day 2

It seems the last of the long weekend of storms has blown through. Today was a lovely day, once the cold chill of the morning warmed up. The sun came out, the wind was calm and the rain held off. The morning started early with volunteers here getting things ready for the day. Shoppers were a steady stream all morning long, which is always delightful to see. People are in such a good mood while dropping off groceries. Wednesday continues to be the biggest community day for families, with many people coming early to socialize on the lawn. By opening time, the line was out to the court. (see attached picture) Overall, it was a wonderful day.

Groceries today were provided by Calvary Chapel Eastside, Newport Covenant, St. Louise, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Christian Reformed, Bellevue Presbyterian and 24-Seven churches, as well as the Rotary Club of Bellevue, the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 179 groceries came in today and all went out to families, including 2 by delivery. Thank you to everyone who participated! Great day!

Sysco delivered the perishable food boxes right on time at 9:30am this morning. Woo Hoo! All were in place by 11:00am, and the crew went to task packing them with the fresh fruits and vegetables purchased today. We made a trip to Farmer Frog in Woodinville this morning to pick up some extra items: milk, cheese, eggs, butter, apples, and chicken. These are similar foods which come from Sysco but allowed us to offer families extra, which is always great.

The exit lane market was very full today with perishable and non-perishable items.

Many different things had come in, which made it fun: socks, coffee, dog chews, travel-size hygiene, and more.

Volunteers brought food from the QFC Crossroads. Thank you to everyone who provided extra items!

A crew of 7 volunteers was here this afternoon to get the building back into shape from a very busy day. There were lots of boxes to breakdown for recycling and plenty of cold foods to refrigerate for tomorrow. Lots of cat litter came in today and it all got portioned out into ziplock bags. Thank you crew and all volunteers!

It’s so great to be in Version 2 fully and completely now. Back in September, Version 1.5 was very difficult, with each day having to be reinvented with lots of labor required. The operation is now in a very good spot, with most things known going into the day. This allows us to react to things only as needed. Thank you so much for walking with this new program since September 1. It is working! It takes all of us together to make it happen. Thank you.

Today was an awesome day. Lots of happy people. Lots of food and pantry items going to families who need help. It continues…thank you!

Have a great evening,

Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 10/13/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 10/13/20

Groceries for Families: Week 29 - Day 1

Rain is one thing, but the wind is quite another…especially a fall PNW storm. This morning started in a steady downpour, which stopped around 8am, just in time for the wind to start. By mid-morning, the wind was really howling and it kept up most of the afternoon. The many shoppers dropping off all morning faced the wind well, with only a few bags blowing off the tables. The families enjoyed a little sun this afternoon, but most wore jackets to keep warm. The day went very smoothly and was very enjoyable all around.

Groceries today came from Awakening, Victory Court, Covenant Presbyterian, Evangelical Chinese, Westminster Chapel, Creekside Covenant, Cornerstone, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian and Bellevue Christian Reformed churches, as well as Bellevue Kiwanis and the Jubilee Friends group. A record 12 orders came from Jubilee Friends today. Thank you for spreading the word! A total of 185 orders came in today and all went out to families. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The market was very full today. Volunteers brought lots of great food from the Safeway Thrashers Corner and the Crossroads QFC. There are remaining delicata squash and baby red potatoes from last week’s farm pick-up. Thank you to everyone who donated extras to add to the market.

Last Friday afternoon, volunteers made major changes to the carport and canopy structures outside.

Two families donated two new carports recently…thank you! These were added over the market area, which will now allow us to hang gutters in-between because the three carports covering this 20’ x 30’ area are all the same. We will be doing that this week, which will keep the main work area completely dry. This is huge!

The two carports which had been in the market were moved further out, so we can now offer more shelter to families. With the storms coming this weekend, all six carports were put on cinder blocks and lashed down with rope. All survived the storms! Check out the attached ‘view from above’ picture to see the new look.

Regretfully, three of the 10’ x 10’ canopies did not survive. We staked and weighted these down on Friday. However, the metal just isn’t made for such strong wind. One was crushed by the storm Sunday night and two were crushed this morning in a very strong gust. All three had been out since the spring, so served a very good purpose. We’ll be looking for more canopies or carports this fall to add more shelter.

The Sysco truck, due in from 9:30am-11:30am, arrived at 7:00am. After discussions with the driver and supervisor, they agreed to have the refrigerated truck sit in the lot until 9:30am. Shoppers had to navigate this large semi in the middle of the lot all morning. He finished unloading at 10:30am and headed to “Jubilee West” with his next load. This is El Dios Viviente Methodist Church in White Center, Seattle, which has been our key partner since March.

We’re continuing to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, picking up an online order each morning at 7:00am at Cash & Carry. This adds tomatoes, lettuce, bananas, green pepper, cucumber and carrots to the food boxes. See the attached picture

A few nice stories to share:

A Westminster Chapel member showed up today with a carload of 10 grocery orders. She works at Evergreen Hospital and had shared with her team about the ‘Groceries for Families’ program. They decided to donate funds to cover the 10 orders together. How cool is that!? Thank you, Evergreen friends!
Maria has been coming for groceries since the spring and often brings the crew home-cooked Mexican dinners. Today she brought enchiladas, which she said were more American than true Mexican, which is different. We took this to mean we are wimps and can’t handle the real stuff. Probably true. She is very sweet and has connected to our hearts through her cooking. Thank you!

We begin this 7th week of V2 of ‘Groceries for Families’ with 603 families in the program: Tue 209, Wed 205, Thu 189. This includes 29 large families (8+ people) which receive double groceries. Nineteen families were added last week and another 5 were added today. There is a no-show factor of about 15%. We are actively communicating with these families to remedy why they are not showing up. The reasons are varied, and some we can help with. Thank you to those of you who responded to the appeal last week to bring more groceries each week. The need remains high, and we are not wanting to put anyone on the waiting list.

Thank you for another wonderful day. Please reach out with any personal feelings or stories you’ve experienced through being a part of this program.

Have a nice evening,

Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 10/8/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 10/8/20

Groceries for Families: Week 28 - Day 3

The week ended on a very positive note with a great 3 days of families. The dry and warm weather persists, which makes the whole operation easier. Lots of shoppers were here in the morning, with joyful hearts and mask-covered smiles. Thursday families tend to be more laid-back and slower to come, so the pace was steady all afternoon. There were quite a few late arrivals. It’s so great to see so many familiar faces and have a chance to reconnect with them each week.

The week ends on very positive note with a great 3 day of families. The dry and warm weather persists, which makes the whole operation easier. Lots of shoppers were here in the morning, with joyful hearts and mask-covered smiles. Thursday families tend to be more laid-back and slower to come, so the pace was steady all afternoon. There were quite a few late arrivals. It’s so great to see so many familiar faces and have a chance to reconnect with them each week.

Groceries today were provided by Doxa, First United Methodist, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Sacred Heart Parish & School, Highland Covenant, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian and Lighthouse churches, as well as Rotary Bellevue Sunrise and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 168 orders came in and all went out to families today. Thank you to everyone who gave today.

If you read yesterday’s email, you learned the Sysco truck arrived late, after families already came.

Today, the truck arrived at 7:00am, overcompensating, to say the least. The driver and supervisor on the phone were very understanding that we couldn’t receive the cold items so far in advance.

It would have left perishables foods sitting outside for up to 8 hours. So, the driver dropped the 3 pallets of produce and then went on to his next stop. He returned at 12pm to bring the dairy box, milk boxes, and protein boxes. That worked out very well. We’ll see what happens next week.

Here's what is in a unit for one family with the new Sysco boxes:

Produce box: 3# apples, 3# pears, 5# potatoes, 2-3 onions
Dairy box: bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1# butter, 1-quart liquid eggs
Protein box: a frozen bag of shredded chicken with sauce and a frozen bag of breaded chicken patties
One gallon of milk

The crew combined the Produce and Dairy boxes to start. They then added the fresh produce we purchased this morning: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, bananas. In the end, it was a nice variety of nutritious food, paired nicely with the non-perishable bags brought by shoppers.

Volunteers have been essential to the running of this program. Today was no exception. The morning and afternoon volunteers worked hard to do all the tasks needed to keep things in order. Thank you! If you want to volunteer, sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b094daeaf2fa6fc1-volunteer. More slots will be added tomorrow.

Pastor Gerardo from El Dios Viviente Methodist Church in White Center, Seattle came at 4pm today with two vehicles. As you’ve read since the spring, we have partnered with him to help bring food to his church and nearby community. He and his volunteers are filling the gap of need in a very important way, and we are blessed to walk alongside him. Today, we passed along all the remaining foods from Sysco, which he is distributing to families as this email is typed. Please pray for this community and for Pastor Gerardo.

A personal note from Ken:

The lady whose husband had a reoccurring brain tumor appear in June was here yesterday and sent me a text today with an update He went through chemo and radiation this summer. We’ve been following their story all summer on this blog. She updated us that after a meeting with the oncologist today, Overlake Hospital wants to increase his current monthly chemo to weekly to help with the inflammation and hopefully his memory. She asked for help in two ways: 1) pray for her husband; he is struggling emotionally through this entire process; pray for strength for him and 2) gas cards to Safeway to help her cover the cost of driving him to the hospital so frequently. She can get gas at the Safeway on 140th and BelRed. If you’d like to contribute, please drop them to me at Jubilee REACH. She comes for groceries on Wednesdays. Beyond this, I’d also like to ask for any cards of encouragement to her. She is carrying their family and is under a lot of pressure to hold it together. Thank you.

Thanks for another great day. It’s hard to believe week 6 of Version 2 is already over. Time rolls along. From the very beginning in March, this program has now been in operation for more than 6.5 months. Your involvement and commitment to the ‘Groceries for Families’ program is so important. Thank you for lifting up these sweet families.

Peace to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 10/7/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 10/7/20

Groceries for Families: Week 28 - Day 2

Halfway through the week and things are rolling along. Everyone is certainly enjoying this warm, dry weather, especially knowing the fall rains are coming soon. This Friday there are plans to add to the canopies in the yard, in anticipation of needing to keep people dry. That will be nice. Lots of action was going on here today. The flow in this morning was loaded with fun people dropping off groceries and pantry items. We love conversations with shoppers! The afternoon was a very nice flow of families coming in. Great day!

Groceries today were provided by Calvary Chapel Eastside, Newport Covenant, St. Louise, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian, 24-Seven and Bellevue Christian Reformed churches, as well as Rotary Club of Bellevue, Bellevue Breakfast Rotary and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 163 orders came in today and all but 8 went out to families today. Thank you to everyone who donated today!

Lots of extra pantry items came in today from groups and individuals. Thank you so much to everyone who continues to give these extra essential items.

The exit lane market was full again with a nice variety of items. Fresh russet potatoes, beets, baby red potatoes, onions, apples, lettuce, squash, and more were available.

Lots of non-perishables were offered. Volunteers brought food from the QFC Crossroads and a large load of soda, which is a fun treat to offer. We also put out quite a bit of frozen meat, mainly chicken and beef.

The perishables foods for the families came from Sysco for the first time today. They are a 2nd supplier, so we wanted to see how that would go. There are a few advantages to this supplier, mainly that they will deliver directly to Jubilee.

Our delivery window was set for 9:30-11:30am. Regretfully, the truck didn’t come until 3pm. While the families were here, we were able to give them the non-perishable bag, as well as the fresh produce we purchased today with cash. We had to tell them a text would come to them when the truck comes, and they would need to return. After we sent the group text about 3:15pm, about 50 families did come back. We’ve since confirmed that tomorrow’s Sysco order will indeed come in the morning, so we’ll try one more time.

Extra volunteers were registered for this afternoon from 3:30-5:00pm, who were critical in handling this extra step. Not only did they hand out food to families, but they brought in all the extra cold items to the refrigerators and freezers. We couldn’t have done it without them. Thank you!

A personal note from Ken:

In early September, a local family with a deep connection to Jubilee contacted us with a special request. Their young daughter had some special stuffed animals, which she had determined needed a new home with a younger child to love just as she had done. My time off delayed the process, but we identified two 5-year old girls who come weekly with their moms to get groceries. I’ve developed relationships with both of them. We invited both the girls and their moms to come today at separate times in the late afternoon. The stuffed animal hand off was precious (think of the ending of Toy Story 3). Both girls went home with 5 new animals, having heard about their history and how special they are. Even the mom’s went away with a lovely care package. So wonderful!

Another personal note:

A family comes every Wednesday at 5:30pm to pick up groceries. Both parents work on Wednesday, so can’t get here any earlier. The mom came with all three kids today. She shared with me a wonderful story. They have essentially been homeless for two years and have been living in a “tiny home” the past year with outside help. Along with other financial help, she shared that this ‘Groceries for Families’ program has been an incredible blessing to them in so many ways. For sure, it has given them food and hygiene items which are all needed. Furthermore, it has allowed them to save money weekly, which they have put away for housing. This week, they had enough saved to buy a home in Lakewood, so will be moving south and no longer be homeless. She credited this program to helping them reach this goal. Today was the last day they will pick up food here, so we said goodbye. It is a wonderful story of success and we wished them well. Please pray for this sweet family as they take a step forward in life together.

Thanks for another wonderful day in this ‘Groceries for Families’ program. In summary, it is working! Everything you/we all are doing is making a real difference in the lives of many, many people in this community. Keep going!

Have a great evening,

Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 10/6/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 10/6/20

Groceries for Families: Week 28 - Day 1

The extended summer weather is such a blessing…we will enjoy it while it lasts. Today was a great day, with the crew becoming more used to the V2 operation. Everything is easier and more routine, which makes for quicker work and more time to talk to families. The morning was busy with lots of deliveries by happy people. The afternoon was a steady stream of families, with Tuesday always being a busy, busy day. Great day!

Groceries today were provided by Bellevue Christian Reformed, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian, Cornerstone, Creekside Covenant, Westminster Chapel, Evangelical Chinese, Covenant Presbyterian, Victory Court and Awakening churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 182 orders came in and all went out to families today. That is a lot! Wow! Thank you to everyone who donated today.

Lots of extra deliveries came in:

Volunteers brought 1000 pounds of Delicata Squash from a farm in Snohomish
6 pallets of Romaine lettuce was donated by Cascadia Produce in Auburn; picked up by a Jubilee truck this morning
4 pallets of russet potatoes and 1 pallet of baby red potatoes was picked up by a Jubilee truck this morning at Farmer Frog in Woodinville
Food boxes were picked up by a Jubilee truck at UGM in Kent this morning, set up by Awakening Church
A van load of beets was picked up by Jubilee staff at Farmer Frog in Woodinville
Volunteers delivered food from the QFC Crossroads
Volunteers delivered food from the Safeway Thrashers Corner in Bothell

All of this added so much to what was provided to families today and much of it will carry over to the next two days, also. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

A picture of Emil is to the left. He comes on Tuesdays and often comes early to claim his place in line. He always offers to help and today was a huge part of unloading lettuce, potatoes and food boxes. He is originally from Romania, arriving to the US in 2001. He landed in Arkansas and then came to Washington. He is married with two children and brings a ray of sunshine to his community. We all enjoy having him with us. Thanks for all the help today!

On Saturday, Neighbors Feeding Neighbors dropped of about 150 gallons of milk to Jubilee. We were able to group text families, giving them a 45 minute window to come get extra milk. In that time, 27 families came, taking 72 gallons of milk. Thank you for this extra donation, Narima!

The last food truck is here tonight. Thank you to BelPres for sponsoring this weekly special event all summer long. It has been a fun addition for the families each week.

A few emails from a shopper and regular volunteer:

God bless you for all that you are doing, and God bless Jubilee, an amazing safety net for so many. I have discovered that delivering my one sack of groceries on Wednesday is one of the highlights of my week. I love seeing you, I love seeing the staff that interfaces with the shoppers, and I love greeting the other shoppers and the families that begin to gather later in the morning. The COVID response is a lot like a mission trip, and we get to do it right here without traveling miles and miles to share the love and to be transformed ourselves….
I know you are tired and at the end of your day when you write these e-mails, but they are always heartfelt and appreciated. In my trips to the recycling bin with broken-down boxes this afternoon, I watched the Ultimate Melt food truck employees interact with those in line. I was so impressed with their enthusiasm and welcoming for each and every patron. I bought two sandwiches to bring home and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed them! What a wonderful community JR has developed. Hats off to all the staff and volunteers.

This is the beginning of week 6 since the first version of ‘Groceries for Families’ ended on August 31. The first four weeks were difficult in V1.5. Now we are cruising in V2.

We begin this week with 583 families in the program, including 28 which have 8 or more people so get two orders of food. In these families, there are 2664 people. We are continuing to welcome walk-in’s every day. It is likely to eclipse 600 this week.

Thank you for all you are doing to support these families. A community has been created here and families feel loved.

Peace to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 10/1/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 10/1/20

Groceries for Families: Week 28 - Day 3

Thursdays have always been the calmest day of the week…not sure why. About the same number of families come, but it just seems easier. Maybe it’s because it is the last day of the week. Today was no different. The morning was smooth with lots and lots of shoppers dropping off groceries and pantry items. Unlike the past two days which started with a huge line at 1pm, today had only about 20 people in line. It grew and shrank all afternoon, but was never long. It was a very nice day here. Certainly, the pleasant weather helps a ton.

Groceries today were provided by Doxa, First United Methodist, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Sacred Heart Parish & School, Highland Covenant, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian and Lighthouse churches, as well as the Rotary Bellevue Sunrise and Jubilee Friends group. A total of 154 orders came in and all went out to families today. Thank you to everyone who donated today!

You’ve been hearing that getting food at Farmer Frog this week has been difficult, as they get their operation organized with the new food boxes.

We changed sources today. Awakening Church set an appointment for Jubilee at the Union Gospel Mission warehouse in Kent, which distributes the exact same food boxes we’ve been getting.

Ed was able to pull up for our 10:30am appointment, load up quickly, and get back to Jubilee with a full load for families today. This is the way it is supposed to work. Thank you, Casey and Awakening Church!

A nice delivery of diapers came from Eastside Baby Corner today.

We are so fortunate to have this partnership and a weekly supply of important diapers.

Today also came with Desitin, which is popular with parents. Thank you, EBC and Theresa for delivering!

The market tables were again full of mainly non-perishables again today, as well as some nice food from the Crossroads QFC, delivered by volunteers. We also had lots of extra milk, which is popular. Thank you to everyone who gave today.

The food truck is here now. There is a late rush, looking out the window. People are getting gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Thank you BelPres for sponsoring.

Pastor Gerardo came this afternoon from El Dios Viviente Methodist Church in White Center, Seattle. We were able to give him the remaining food boxes and milk. He is supporting his congregation and local neighborhood by providing food. We’ve been blessed to be in a relationship with him since the spring.

A few special stories from Ken and Daniel today:

One of the Tuesday senior lunch deliveries goes to a home near Robinswood Park. There a grown daughter has taken care of her parents for the last 5+ years. Both are in the upper 80’s and have had dementia. Earlier this year, the dad had to move to an assisted care facility. This week the daughter emailed that he entered hospice. So they will be grieving in their family soon. This is a family we met a few years ago through the Jubilee Service Day and have been close to ever since. Please pray for the family.

Daniel watched a very sweet story unfold today. He was assisting a woman and her son get their food box, milk, dry goods, and more, their conversation was overheard by another woman in line. Daniel was helping them decide how they would walk home carrying everything. The woman in line came over to Daniel asking about the situation. Without knowing any details (who they are, where they live, etc) she approached the family and offered to drive them home. They were surprised and thrilled at this kind offer. Fortunately, the live close but it was a huge lift to them today.

This was a great week and a wonderful welcome back from time off for me (Ken). It is so joyful to be here. As it was written earlier this summer by someone else here, this is the intersection of community. It is right where we all should be…loving our neighbors. Thank you for all you’re doing to support these families.

Have a great weekend. Be back Tuesday.

Ken Carpenter
Director- Community Care, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Groceries for Families began in March 2020 to serve families financially affected by the pandemic. Over 25 organizations and churches have partnered with Jubilee REACH to provide families with groceries, hygiene items, and supplies.

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