GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/18/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/18/21

Groceries for Families: Week 47 - Day 2

What started out with rain early this morning gave way to a dry morning and even a sunny afternoon. The temperature was slower to cooperate, but it eventually felt warmer by the afternoon. Who even remembers the snow?! The morning was buzzing with lots of happy people dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Wow, so many people! Thank you everyone! Families lined up early and kept a steady pace all afternoon. We even went into overtime after 3:30pm, which is not great for the operational schedule, but we were able to accommodate. Great day!

February 17, 2021

Groceries today were provided by St. Louise, Newport Covenant, Calvary Chapel Eastside, Indian Fellowship, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Christian Reformed, and Bellevue Presbyterian, as well as the Rotary Club of Bellevue, the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 259 orders came in today (thank you for the extras!) and all but 38 went out to families today. The remainder will go out first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The AM volunteers came from Bellevue Presbyterian today, including 3 young kids who worked hard! The food box truck was right on time, and they quickly packed half of them with fresh produce. They processed all 259 grocery orders and had a blast doing it. Thank you, crew!

The market today was full of deliveries from QFC and Trader Joe’s. Volunteers also brought a delivery from a local distributor of individually wrapped sandwiches, salads, meals, snacks, and more. Very popular! Thank you to all the volunteers who bring such foods here regularly. You add so much to this program!

Families are offered cooking oil and dish soap daily if they bring their own container. A picture of that station today with Sheri is on the right.

A staff person manages it just outside the library. It is a great opportunity to talk with families and make the experience for them less transactional. A little candy is there, too, for any kids who come through. Sheri and Barb manage this incredibly well. Thank you to them and thank you to all who donate the oil and soap.

A few stories:

Angelina came for groceries yesterday and asked what she could cook for the crew. She has brought a few things over the past month, which is all fantastic. She made a Pazole from her El Salvadoran family recipe which was incredible. We requested beef tacos, which she has also made before, and gave her frozen beef for it. Her husband and grandson brought them this afternoon. Be careful of the hot sauce…it is not for the weak. This family continues to express their gratitude through cooking.
Rose is a long-time family who comes on Wednesday and is simply delightful. Originally from Kenya, she is friendly, fun, and engaging. She has regularly asked for prayers for her to find a job. In early January, we brainstormed some ideas of places she could apply, one of them being Home Depot. She came back the next week saying she had applied there but nothing had happened since. Today, she bounced in with excitement telling us Home Depot had hired her. She’ll work 20 hours to start at the south downtown location, making $19 per hour. They expect to increase her hours in the coming months. She is fine with the location and hopes to transfer to the Bellevue location if the opportunity ever comes up. For now, she is overjoyed to find employment. She credits the prayer and support she gets from Jubilee REACH.

As relayed yesterday, we’ve invited the 59 families from the waiting list to enter the program. Yesterday, 8 showed up. Today, another 12 or so came. We asked them to come Thursday, so we expect many more to come tomorrow. It is quite fun to see the sticker on their chest showing the staff they are new the program. They are welcomed by all of us and made to feel special, which they are.

Thanks for another great day in ‘Groceries for Families’. The support offered to these families is working. Thank you, everyone! Please keep going.

Have a great evening, wherever this entry finds you.

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/16/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/16/21

Groceries for Families: Week 47 - Day 1

Here we are at week 47 of the ‘Groceries for Families’ program and can see the one-year anniversary over the horizon. Wow, hard to believe. After the snowy weekend, today was a very lovely day. Even the sun came through at times, and the rain pretty much stayed away. The temperature was very tolerable. The morning was busy but a little lighter than normal, which may be due to mid-winter break for the local schools. But lots of happy people were busy dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! The pace of families was different today, for a Tuesday. Normally, Tuesday is busy from opening to closing, with a steady line. Today was a shorter line to start and even had periods of no line. Yet, the last 30 minutes were very busy. While there were fewer people coming, many families were picking up for other families. We had more double and triple orders than normal. In the end, exactly the normal amount of food went out today. We just got there by a different route.

Groceries today were provided by Cornerstone Fellowship, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian, Bellevue Christian Reformed, Covenant Presbyterian, Awakening, East Shore Unitarian, Creekside Covenant, and Westminster Chapel churches, as well as Bellevue Kiwanis Club and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 172 orders came in today, which was a little short of the expected 196. All went out today to families, along with 47 orders carried over from last week. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The AM volunteers were from Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. With schools on break, the group had adults and teenagers. They did a great job receiving and processing groceries, as well as packing food boxes. Thank you, crew!

Senior lunches were delivered today by Barb and her crew, Ashley & Theresa. Thirty-two seniors in our community received a lovely lunch of lasagna and lots of extras. This outreach has been going on weekly since the spring and is a wonderful way to keep connected to some very isolated people in our community. Thank you, crew!

If you read the Thursday email last week, you know we took down all the canvases from the tents outside, in anticipation of the snow. That turned out to be a good idea, as you can guess.

Yesterday, volunteers descended upon Jubilee at 10am to shovel the GFF operational area, the parking lot, the front sidewalk, and the street curb. Wow, a lot of snow got moved!

The second crew of volunteers came at 11am to put the canvases back up on all 11 skeletons. They were done within an hour. This morning, with more snow melting overnight, you wouldn’t even know anything different. It looked great and was ready for business. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

A few stories to share:

On November 3 in this email, the following story was shared: “In line today a man came to Ken to express his thanks and say goodbye. He has been in the program since early summer and has now secured a job in Fremont, CA as a Nurse Technician. So, today is his last day. He was very emotional expressing his gratitude for the support received through this program. He is originally from India and fled persecution as a Muslim business owner four years ago, leaving his wife and four kids. They are safe, but he would have been killed. He received asylum in the US and expected his family to join him this year. With the pandemic, everything is shut down. While he does a daily video call, he hasn’t seen his family since 2016. He is a skilled worker and is excited to have this new job. We embraced and said goodbye. Please join us in prayer as we send him to this new chapter. Such a great story.”

This man’s name is Azmath. Today, he showed up in line…a total surprise. The company in CA had trouble after a virus breakout, and his position was eliminated. So he returned to Bellevue last week, and we readmitted him to the program. His food has actually been utilized by a neighboring family, which he was supporting previously. So, it was easy to give him a slot. It was a fun, yet surprising, reunion. He shared there is hope that his family can join him in the US this year. With the new Presidential administration, rules are changing for asylum people like him. There is a path for him to have his status changed and for his family to come legally. Another option will be for a visiting visa, at the least. He showed pictures of his young children, whom he hasn’t seen except on video since summer 2016. He is very hopeful they will be reunited this year.

As is common on Tuesdays, Maria brought the crew a home-cooked meal. Today was a beef and potato stew. Yum! She continues to extend thanks and love through her cooking.

A picture of Eun and Lois is to the right. Lois is the Media and Communications Manager at Jubilee REACH and works the Tuesday afternoon shift. Eun is a Korean lady who lives 2 blocks from Jubilee and comes for groceries on Tuesdays. She doesn’t speak English, so loves that Lois can speak Korean. They’ve developed a nice friendship. Eun is also the person profiled anonymously a few weeks ago for the yard clean-up she does at Jubilee during off-hours. Today, she brought Korean dumplings to share and made it clear all the ingredients came from the food she received from Jubilee. She was very excited to present the food to Lois.

We being this week with 722 families in the ‘Groceries for Families’ program. There are 59 families on the waiting list and 64 families on the ‘watch list’. We made the decision this morning to invited the 59 waiting list families to enter the program. We’ll be adding them mainly to Thursday, which gives flexibility at the end of the week and is the slowest of the 3 days. (picture of Denisse switching someone from the waiting list to the program today is on the left.) There is enough food here to absorb these additions. The toughest item will be diapers, as the inventory is getting lower. But it feels like the right time to empty the waiting list, as some have been on there since the second week of January. Many of you have asked about the waiting list families. Thank you for your care of them. Your continued support of groceries and the pantry items allows this leap of faith. Thank you.

Thanks for another great day. It feels like we were under a hedge of protection with the snow coming over the weekend, instead of mid-week. As beautiful as the snow was, it would be just fine if there is no more this winter/spring. Please do continue to pray for this program. There are many moving pieces and many people involved. Prayers are needed.

Blessings to you all,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/12/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/12/21

Groceries for Families: Week 46 - Day 3

Week 46 of ‘Groceries for Families’ ends on a very positive note. Today’s attendance was definitely impacted by the cold & snow, but the week had very good attendance overall. Quite a few Thursday families came on Tuesday and Wednesday, in anticipation of the snow. We were very fortunate with the weather today. (Thank you to everyone who has been praying!) While the temperature was quite cold, the snow held off with just a few flurries in the afternoon. It could have been very troublesome but was nothing impactful. Whew! About 50 groceries were delivered last night, and the rest came steadily in this morning, along with pantry & hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! Families formed a smaller line at opening time, and the afternoon was a slower pace than normal. But families kept coming through right until 3:30pm.

February 11, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Crossroads Bible, Sacred Heart Parish & School, Victory Court, Doxa, Bellevue Presbyterian, Highland Covenant, Lighthouse, Overlake Park Presbyterian and First United Methodist churches, as well as Champions Foundation, Rotary Bellevue Sunrise and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 209 orders came in today and all went out to families. Thank you to everyone who donated!

The AM volunteers came from Bellevue Christian Reformed Church. Food boxes arrived at 9am, and the crew had them packed on time. They braved the cold and received all the incoming donations. Thank you, crew!

The market was full today and very popular. A large delivery came through a volunteer this morning who brought donations from a local distributor. A few cases of soda, prepackaged sandwiches, salads, and more filled many black crates. It was a big effort to pick up and organize this load. Thank you, Mike! A lot of food went home with people today.

El Dios Viviente Church in West Seattle came this afternoon, as they often do on Thursdays. We’ve partnered with them since the spring to help them support about 400 families in the White Center neighborhood. It’s better to have food reach the homes of people tonight who need it than sit in Jubilee for the next week. Please pray for their food program.

A picture of volunteers portioning out pet food this morning is to the right. Thank you to everyone who supports this special part of the program. Dogs and cats provide people love and support. You’re helping them not have to choose between feeding their family and keeping their pet. Thank you!!!

A follow up to a family story:

Last Thursday, Erwin’s family was highlighted. https://www.jubileereach.org/blog/2021/2/5/groceries-for-families-week-45-day-3 He returned this evening at about 5pm for groceries and gave an update on his wife. The specialist at Harborview could not find anything conclusive. They now have 3 more appointments next week at Harborview, with the third being a camera going into her lungs. The worst-case would be cancer. But it could also be a treatable condition. He is carrying a lot of stress and is very worried. He shared a bit about their lives and, without sharing personal details here, it is very hard, in general, not just now. They married in 1996 in Honduras and came to the US in 1999. Their daughter lives on her own and their two younger boys are at home. Without steady work, life is harder. The last four years, as an immigrant, have been very stressful. They nearly moved to Spain to get a fresh start. He asked for prayers, as they do daily. He is a sweet man and is just trying to care for his family.

SNOW! We are ready…

The pictures below show the outside operational space as it sits now. There are 14 canopies that make up the sheltered area, along with a full gutter system. The canopies are not made to withstand severe weather. With heavy snow possible and no families coming until Tuesday, we made the decision to take down the canvases. This will avoid damage from the weight of the snow. Volunteers arrived at 3pm and were done within an hour. They will return on Monday at 11am to put them back up, which will take longer. The pictures look so strange, with only the skeletons showing.

An email from a donor, which applies to all of you – you are Jubilee!:

Thank you for all that you are doing. You are incredible and inspiring! I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to watch the GFF program flourish--- its positive reach impacting many in the local community. It is truly an honor to provide groceries each week. I have deep gratitude knowing that the people receiving the groceries are also receiving the love of God. May they continue to feel the love and prayers coming through His faithful disciples at Jubilee Reach over this past (almost) year. Thank you for keeping daily records, I am grateful for the updates and personal stories, and prayer requests. Our family will continue to pray for the Jubilee REACH team, participants/recipients of the GFF program. May God bless you and bring you abundant blessings! What a true gift to the community. Thank you!

Thanks for another great week in ‘Groceries for Families’. Thank you for your time, energy, treasure, and prayers, which sustain it. May you also feel a blessing by being a part of it.

Be warm…turn on the fireplace…get a hot drink.

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/11/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/11/21

Groceries for Families: Week 46 - Day 2

With the threat of snow in the forecast, today felt like one more day of reprieve. Other than being chilly in the morning, the weather was quite pleasant and certainly helps make the operation easier. Now, we wait to see what happens tomorrow. Today was a good day. The morning was a steady in-flow of people dropping off groceries, pantry & hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! Families lined up sharply at 1pm and kept a sizeable line all afternoon. The last family left about 3:30pm and then about 8 more drifted in over the next half hour, which isn’t great but we work to accommodate.

February 10, 2021

Groceries today were provided by the Jubilee Friends group, Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, and the Rotary Club of Bellevue, as well as Calvary Chapel Eastside, Newport Covenant, Indian Fellowship, St. Louise, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Christian Reformed, 24-Seven and Bellevue Presbyterian churches. A total of 285 orders came in (Thank you for the extras!) and all but 42 went out to families today. The rest will go out first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

Food boxes arrived at 8:45am, and the morning crew from Bellevue Presbyterian did a great job of packing them later in the morning. We purchased fresh produce from Smart Foodservice early this morning to add to the food boxes and this week have included garlic bulbs for each family. The food boxes now contain a head of lettuce, which we used to buy. That saving allows the garlic to be added.

One shopper brought a delivery of diapers & more this morning, having organized a drive in her neighborhood. It’s such a great way to get others involved. Thank you, Debbie!

Thanks to everyone who is taking the time to decorate the outside and add notes to the grocery bags.

Some of you are very creative! We are seeing plenty of Valentine’s Day references. Very fun! Thank you.

Thanks to those who have been bringing flowers. Today we were able to hand out small bouquets to about 40 women, as well as some Valentine’s Day candy boxes and even a few stuffed animals with candy. The flowers really are a joy for women to receive. We can’t have enough for everyone, but we’ll continue to pass them out as you bring them. Thank you!

Thanks, also, for the mandarin oranges. Not one person has turned them down, and people light up when they see them in their grocery carts. What a fun treat! Thank you.

A few updates:

Many of you have been following the story of Shahin, whose husband has been battling a reoccurrence of brain cancer since June. He is near the end and came home last weekend for his final days. Shahin was here briefly yesterday and shared how special coming to Jubilee is to her because she knows there are people here who care that her husband is dying. Please pray for her family. They have a teenage daughter and live close to Jubilee. Our hearts are breaking for them.
A few weeks ago, in this space, you read about Marcia (mar-SEE-up). https://www.jubileereach.org/blog/2021/1/14/groceries-for-families-week-42-day-2 Ever since then, she has come on Tuesdays in a clear state of sadness and worry. She is very quiet normally, so we can simply see it in her eyes. Her English is very minimal, so we need a Spanish speaker to connect deeper with her. Yesterday, Daniel was working, and Marcia came very late in the afternoon when few people were there. He was able to ask her some questions. Since her mom died and Marcia returned from Nicaragua, there has been a very heavy burden on Marcia and her family to support their extended family in Nicaragua. It is an expectation within their culture and family that those in America will send money, supplies, clothing, and more. Specifically, her sister has been particularly painful to deal with. Marcia’s own family here is struggling daily, so this extra responsibility is suffocating. They can’t say no, but they are giving well past what they can afford. Daniel said telling someone seemed to be helpful for her, as she was grateful for the concern. We asked how we could help, but she said there is nothing. Please pray for them. They are a beautiful family, with a daughter at a local high school.

For those of you looking ahead, here is the extended hygiene list for the grocery orders. The food portion of the grocery orders remains unchanged.

Thanks for another great day in ‘Groceries for Families’. We’ll see if the snow impacts the operation tomorrow or not. Either way, we’ll continue to love on these families as much as possible. Thank you so much for your prayers, generosity, time, energy, and sustaining spirit.

Have a great evening, wherever this email finds you tonight.

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/10/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/10/21

Groceries for Families: Week 46 - Day 1

Week 46 of ‘Groceries for Families’ begins on what could be seen as a spring-like day by some. It was chilly, but the sun was out and the sky was clear. It felt good, especially knowing snow is in the forecast. The morning was a steady flow of people dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. People are always in such a good mood here. Thank you, everyone! Families lined up across the grass at the beginning and kept a steady pace all afternoon. It didn’t feel especially rushed, but by the end of the day, a lot of food had left the building. What a great day!

February 9, 2021

Groceries today came from Bellevue Kiwanis Club and the Jubilee Friends group, as well as Covenant Presbyterian, Awakening, Westminster Chapel, Bellevue Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, East Shore Unitarian, Cornerstone Fellowship, Bellevue Christian Reformed, and Creekside Covenant churches. A total of 191 orders came in today and all went out to families, along with 43 orders carried over from last week. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The market is primarily stocked with food brought by volunteers from local grocery stores. Each Sunday, volunteers bring food from the Safeway Thrasher’s Corner. Thank you, Kathy & Dale.

Three times a week, volunteers bring food from QFC Crossroads. These same volunteers also make extra trips to an outlet in Lynnwood from a vending machine company, which brings wonderful sandwiches, salads, and more, as well as soda in bottles.

These items add a lot to the market and are very popular. Thank you, Mike, Gil & Kyle. Additional food from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s also sometimes come via other local food banks.

Together, these wonderful people help make the market possible and very popular. Thank you, all!

The AM crew came from Highland Covenant Church this morning. They worked hard and tolerated the cold. The food boxes were very late arriving today, so they pushed hard to the full amount before their shift was over. Thank you, crew!

Last Friday, we offered the families an extra market, to which about 100 of them came. Offered were a large variety of non-perishable items, a delivery from QFC Crossroads of fresh foods, and a delivery from the vending company. It was a great chance to help families stock their pantries. As a special treat during the Friday market, lunch was catered by Belle Pastry in downtown Bellevue, provided in to-go containers for about 40 meals. Belle Pastry provided mixed croissants and incredible desserts. A Taiwanese restaurant in Seattle partnered with them to provide Bento Box lunches. All of this was sponsored by Lake Washington Endodontics. The first 40 families who came through the market each received a complete meal. Thank you!

Senior lunches were delivered today to 31 individuals in the community by Barb and her crew. Included today were fresh tulips, brought by volunteers from the QFC Crossroads.

Here’s an email back today from one person: “I just wanted to thank you for including me in your delivery schedule for lunches. I really do enjoy them, and you were right... they are very good. I also want to add, that the flowers are very pretty, and I do enjoy them! This is all much appreciated. Thank you!” Thank you, crew!

A few stories to share:

Hot beef tacos were brought this afternoon by Angelina and her son, Brian. Topped with onion, cilantro, lime, and hot sauce, these were very tasty as a late lunch for the crew. Angelina is a great cook and continues to express her gratitude through her cooking.
One of the families who came to the Friday market is Liliana (Lili). She comes for groceries on Tuesdays and always brings each staff member a bottle of water. So nice. When the market ended at 2pm, she returned to ask if we had any remaining wrapped sandwiches. We had about 20 -30 leftover, with no home. She and her son took them directly to Pioneer Square and passed them out to homeless men there. She returned about an hour later with pictures of a few men with sandwiches. She said it was a little scary because she was alone with her son, but felt very called to go help. She’s offered to do it again. Wow! What a wonderful gesture. Thank you, Lili!
In the orientation for the AM volunteer crew today, we talked about how the drivers for some of the delivery companies (Amazon, Insta-Cart, Safeway, etc) sometimes inquire about getting food for their own families, once they see the operation at Jubilee. We’ve often shared food with them, as most could easily be in this program. Part of today’s crew was Kathy & Mike Holmgren. Some of you will know Mike as the former head coach of the Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. During the morning, an Insta-Cart delivery came to the front door of Jubilee, which is not the normal side for deliveries. The driver (Robert) was wearing a bright Green Bay Packers hat. Asked how long he had been a fan, he said since the early ’90s, so it was clear he would know Mike. We invited him to the backside of Jubilee and told him his day was about to be made and his mind was about to be blown. Introducing Robert to Mike, Robert exclaimed “NO WAY! It’s really you. Wow, I’m a huge fan.” Mike is a gracious person and quickly returned the appreciation back to Robert. They had a nice conversation about Wisconsin, with Robert just beaming, seeing one of his heroes. We took a few pictures on Robert’s phone. As he exited the building he said, “Man, you didn’t just make my day…you made my year.”

If a map of how the ‘Groceries for Families’ program works were to be drawn out, there would be a part of it with delivery people like Robert on it. However small, Robert has a role here, which makes this place go. He matters to this operation. Beyond that, HE MATTERS as a person. Whatever love and care expressed to families, donors and volunteers needs to be equally shared with people like Robert. He is important. Today, Robert walked away very happy. We are blessed to have people like him serving here.

We begin this week with 726 families (3,267 people) in the grocery program. There are 52 families on the waiting list now, all of whom came after we last cleared the waiting list in early January. Of the 52, there are 9 families that previously left the program in the fall and have now returned. (Waiting list families are still invited to come once per week and do receive food.) There are 62 families on the ‘watch list’, mainly for irregular attendance. We’re working with them to find out why. We are closely watching the operation to determine when families from the watch list can be brought into the full program. It is a balance of inventory and time.

Thank you for the continued support of this program and these vulnerable members of our community. Together, we are making a difference in many lives.

Stay warm!

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/5/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/5/21

Groceries for Families: Week 45 - Day 3

This entry often starts off with the weather. Some jokers have said they don’t know what the weather was unless they read the email. Funny. You’re welcome. Truly, sometimes it is hard to remember what the weather was on a certain day. Today seems to have been quite uneventful, although the wind picked up late. Now you know. Operationally, today was smooth and normal. Happy people were dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items all morning long. Thank you everyone! Families were slow to arrive but kept a steady line all afternoon. There was a late rush, with quite a few people being added to the waiting list.

February 4, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Sacred Heart Parish & School, Doxa, Highland Covenant, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian, Lighthouse, and Overlake Park Presbyterian churches, as well as Rotary Bellevue Sunrise and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 184 orders were delivered today and all went out to families, along with another 37 orders carried over from yesterday. Thank you to everyone who donated!

Food boxes arrived at 9:00am today, which is later than the first five days of the new program with them. With the slightly warmer temperatures outside, we asked for a later delivery time to keep the perishables colder longer. We don’t actually open the boxes until as late as possible in the morning, so everything stays incubated. It seems to be working fine. As spring comes, we’ll have to have a better plan.

We will host an extra market tomorrow afternoon to offer families non-perishables and other items here. It is a chance for a slower pace and smaller crowd, so families can better choose.

Normally about 75 families come in a two hour period. Volunteers this morning spent two hours sorting non-perishables and getting boxes ready to take out to the market.

The afternoon volunteers reset the outside area for the market. It will be a chance for families to stock their pantry a bit. We’ve also invited the group of senior citizens who previously came to a senior market we had weekly in Nov & Dec. Hopefully, some of them will come too.

A distant picture is to the right, a family walking home from Jubilee REACH today carrying their groceries. There are quite a few families who live within walking distance. Often the QFC carts go with them and come back later, which is fine. Many other people take the bus, which has its own challenges for scheduling and carrying. Lots of people drive, of course. But many families share the effort to come to get groceries by taking turns weekly. While one family watches children, one or more come to Jubilee. It is a wonderful solution that helps multiple families.

A few difficult real-life stories to share:

First in line on Thursdays is a woman named Carmen. She speaks only a little English and is delightful to be with. Today, she was in line pushing her QFC cart and talking on the phone, which is a little odd. Suddenly, she erupted with emotion and anguish, shouting at the phone, “no, no, no…” She was inconsolable. All we could do was put an arm around her and help her to the car. The woman behind explained that the call was from someone in her home country of Ecuador, and a family member had just died of Covid. Very sad.
The woman who translated for Carmen shared she had 5 members of her mother’s family in Mexico die of Covid in January. Their family is devastated. She cannot go visit.
You have heard about a man named Erwin from time to time in this email. He worked for a restaurant in downtown Bellevue and has gone through periods of some employment and no employment over the past 10 months. When he is working, he comes late on Thursday to get groceries. Today, he came at 5pm. He has just gone back to work this week and is getting 3 shifts per week. When asked how his family is doing, he first said fine but then came closer to share more. His wife has had a cough for six months, which just won’t go away. In mid-January, it got so bad that he took her to the emergency at Overlake. They couldn’t find anything. Three days later, he took her to Harborview emergency. They ran tests but found nothing. She will go see a specialist at Harborview next Tuesday. He asked for prayers as they go through this period of unknown.
There is a man named Roberto who comes for groceries on Thursday. He’s been with us since nearly the beginning and was profiled in this email over last summer. He had one leg amputated because of diabetes, so faces lots of challenges just getting around. He used a wheelchair in the summer but now wears a prosthesis, which doesn’t seem to fit well. We learned a few weeks ago diabetes has worsened and is threatening to take his second leg. The doctors have already removed half of his other foot. He is at Providence Hospital in Everett and is struggling emotionally with how this will impact his life, according to his neighbor who is keeping us informed. Please pray for him. He is a very nice man and has no one as a family here.

Along with Covid, life goes on. These are just a few things we know about which are impacting the lives of families in this program.

Thank you for your prayers. When anyone shares such stores, we tell them people are praying for them. It helps, so thank you.

This week has been great. It starts and ends on a very strong note. Thank you for all your time, energy, and treasure which sustain ‘Groceries for Families’. Hopefully, you feel equally blessed through your participation. It is mission work. You don’t have to leave the country to be a missionary. You are needed right here in this community. Please keep going. It is working.

May you find a way to be with someone you love tonight,

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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