GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 3/8/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 3/8/21

Groceries for Families: Week 49 - Day 2

What started as an icy morning with wet fog, gave way to a very spring-like day. Off came the layers one by one. Many people were in short sleeves. It certainly made keeping cold food cold much harder, but it was totally worth it to be warm. The donors this morning dealt with the cold fog but were streaming in with happy faces. There was a big rush early; maybe people were anticipating the sunny afternoon. Thank you everyone! The families benefited from the warmer sun. It was a steady pace all afternoon and ended up being a pretty typical Wednesday for volume. Great day!

March 3, 2021

Groceries today were provided by 24-Seven, Newport Covenant, Calvary Chapel Eastside, Indian Fellowship, Bellevue Presbyterian, Bellevue Christian Reformed, Crossroads Bible, and St. Louise churches, as well as the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Bellevue, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 278 orders came in today (Thank you for the extras!!!) and all but 39 went out today. The remainder will go out first tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The AM crew was mainly from 24-Seven Church today. This group did an awesome job managing the large in-flow of groceries and pantry items. They also packed 120 food boxes. Busy day for them. Well done and thank you, crew!

Delivery from a local distributor was brought by a volunteer this morning, which really made the market full. This load was mainly prewrapped lunches of sandwiches, salads, and more, as well as dry snacks. They are very popular with families. Thank you, Mike!

Thank you for the mandarin oranges today. We had enough for more than half the families today. They are so popular. Thank you for this extra gift.

A volunteer delivered a nice donation from Eastside Dog late today of dog food. This is the 3rd donation they’ve made to ‘Groceries for Families’. Thank you!

A few stories and updates:

Shahin did come this morning to meet with a volunteer who has been walking alongside her. (Read yesterday’s email for details on the death of her husband.) She is able to talk and was happy to be away from their home. She said being there is suffocating. They will bury her husband on Friday in Fall City. From there, life is unknown. If you’d like to bring a card for her, please do. Please continue to pray for her and her daughter.
From time to time, you hear in this space about a Jewish family in the program who comes for fruit and vegetables. Yesterday, David came at 11am, which is the normal time each week. He shared that he has a second interview with Microsoft coming up to be a contractor, which he is very excited about. He is a computer technician and lost his last job in March 2020. He has worked for Microsoft before as both a contractor and an employee. This position could lead to a full-time employee position. Please pray for them.
Rose returned yesterday very excited to report her first week of working at Home Depot in SODO went very well. She likes people and feels good at the job. Her first paycheck should be next week, which she is excited about. She’s working 20 hours per week now and hopes it will go full-time this spring when the store gets busier. She asked if it is permitted for her to remain in the program now that she is working. We assured her she can stay until she is able to fully support herself again. She is happy.

Thanks for another great day in ‘Groceries for Families’. The program is humming along and supporting so many people in this community. It is wonderful to have so many people (all of you!) pulling together to make this even possible. We don’t know many food banks or virus response programs in the nation, but it has to be very unique to have 30 churches, organizations, and groups serving together in this way.

Enjoy the warmish evening locally or wherever you are tonight,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 3/2/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 3/2/21

Groceries for Families: Week 49 - Day 1

After yesterday’s spring-like day, we thought week 49 of ‘Groceries for Families’ would start with a similar feel. Instead, rain greeted the operation as it opened early this morning and persisted much of the morning. The temperature was cold and felt colder with the damp. Fortunately, by the afternoon the chill wore off and gave way to a dry rest of the day. Despite the morning, the flow of happy people bringing groceries, pantry, and hygiene items was steady. Thank you, everyone! Families lined up all the way across the lawn to start and kept a good pace up all afternoon. Lots of families continue to help each other by picking up groceries for each other. It feels like fewer people coming, but by the end of the day the same amount of food goes out as normal. Great day!

After yesterday’s spring-like day, we thought week 49 of ‘Groceries for Families’ would start with a similar feel. Instead, rain greeted the operation as it opened early this morning and persisted much of the morning. The temperature was cold and felt colder with the damp. Fortunately, by the afternoon the chill wore off and gave way to a dry rest of the day. Despite the morning, the flow of happy people bringing groceries, pantry, and hygiene items were steady. Thank you, everyone! Families lined up all the way across the lawn to start and kept a good pace up all afternoon. Lots of families continue to help each other by picking up groceries for each other. It feels like fewer people coming, but by the end of the day the same amount of food goes out as normal. Great day!

Groceries today were provided by Bellevue Christian Reformed, Bellevue Presbyterian, Cornerstone Fellowship, Westminster Chapel, East Shore Unitarian, Covenant Presbyterian, Creekside Covenant, Crossroads Bible, and Awakening churches, as well as Bellevue Kiwanis Club and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 212 orders came in today and all went out to families, along with 12 orders carried over from last week. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

As with the start of each week, a number of volunteers give their time and energy to bring food from local stores. These items primarily keep the market stocked with a variety of wonderful items. Volunteers brought food from the Safeway Thrasher’s Corner. Volunteers brought food from QFC Crossroads twice and a Distributor in N. Seattle. Volunteers brought food from Whole Foods Bellevue and Trader Joes Overlake. Their efforts add so much to this program, giving families the ability to choose things in the market each day. Thank you to all of you quiet angels out there!

The AM volunteers were not from one group but a nice mix of regular volunteers. This group of 9 anchored a very busy day, receiving and processing all the groceries. They also packed 120 food boxes. Thank you, crew!

Senior lunches were delivered to 32 senior citizens in the community today by Barb and her crew. A very tasty lunch of Shepard’s Pie and many extras were bundled up in a lovely bag for each person. Thank you, Barb, Gina, and Theresa.

A fun donation was brought yesterday by Seattle Gourmet Foods: pomegranate truffles, oreo-style cookies in a candy cane and salted caramel flavors, and fresh honey. Wow! We added one tray of cookies to each food box today, so families found a nice surprise when they reached home. Things like this simply add a bit of fun and variety. Thank you, Mike and Bret.

The diaper inventory in beginning to get low. Thank you to so many of you who continue to provide these important items. Each box makes a big difference. Today, with the help of a partner organization, we placed a large diaper order through a wholesaler for sizes Newborn through #4. They will arrive at the end of March. We last did this in early November. Unfortunately, the two most popular sizes, #5 & #6, are not available nationally through the wholesale network. To shore up the #5 & #6 inventories, we will be making a periodic large purchases through Costco starting now and over the next few months. Funding for all of these purchases was generously provided by partner churches, organizations, and individuals. Thank you, everyone!

A few updates and stories:

Many of you have been following the story of Shahin, whose husband has been battling a recurrance of brain cancer since early June. With a sad heart, we need to share he passed away this past Saturday morning at Overlake. Kharazm was 45 years old and leaves behind his wife and high school age daughter. Shahin was texting on Saturday and was in deep grief, being all alone as she walked through the last days. All she could do was wait. Back home on Sunday, they made a lovely memorial for him with a large picture, flowers and candles. Perhaps she will allow the photo she texted to be shared here one day.

Our walk with this family started on June 6, 2020 with a first story in this same space in this email. You can find it here: https://www.jubileereach.org/blog/2020/6/6/groceries-for-families-week-11-day-6. It continued on June 24, 2020: https://www.jubileereach.org/blog/2020/6/24/groceries-for-families-week-14-day-3. There have been many posts since then. Many of you have prayed for them. She shared a few weeks ago how she loves coming to Jubilee because she knows there are people there who care that her husband is dying.

If you’d like to bring a card for the family, please drop it by Jubilee. She normally comes on Wednesday’s, but may not come tomorrow. A volunteer has been delivering groceries the past few weeks. She knows many people have been praying for them, so cards would be a tangible way to show her we are all with them. Please continue to pray for them. Life remains hard and complicated.

Maria brought spaghetti for the crew’s lunch today. Yum! In return, we were able to give her a lovely cake for her grandson’s birthday.
Liliana came at 3:30pm to pick up two boxes of prepackaged sandwiches. She and her son took them to the Seattle waterfront and Pioneer Square to hand them out to homeless people. She sent many pictures back. She is an angel to these people and does it with such a loving heart. She and her son simply want to help others.

We begin week 49 with 740 families in ‘Groceries for Families’ (3,330 people) and 7 on the waiting list. This is down from 761 last week, as we are getting a bit more proactive in removing families who are not coming regularly and not communicating with us. If those families return, they would reenter on the waiting list. The daily breakdown is 239 Tuesday, 239 Wednesday and 262 Thursday. When the waiting list was emptied a few weeks ago, most of those families were added to Thursday, which is why it is higher. This allows excess food from Tuesday and Wednesday to be carried over to Thursday. It is working very well.

Thanks for another great day in ‘Groceries for Families’. We can see the 1-year mark just over the horizon on March 23. Thank you for all you’re doing to support these sweet families. It is working. Hopefully, your participation is also changing your own life in some way.

Blessings to you all

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/25/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/25/21

Groceries for Families: Week 48 - Day 3

People sometimes ask if there are bad days in the ‘Groceries for Families’. While we have our moments, truly we seem to exist in the 8 to 10 range on the spectrum. Even the worst day, is still great. Today was more of the same. The weather was a bit rough, with a cold, biting wind which just wouldn’t stop. This was good for keeping milk cold outside, but not great for exposed hands. Yet, it didn’t stop people coming to Jubilee this morning with deliveries of groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! It also didn’t stop families from coming, but some of them seemed to try to wait it out. The first hour was slow, while the second hour+ was very busy. In the end, it was a normal day.

Groceries today came from Lighthouse, Crossroads Bible, Victory Court, Doxa, First United Methodist, Sacred Heart Parish & School, Bellevue Presbyterian, Overlake Park Presbyterian and Highland Covenant churches, as well as the Rotary Bellevue Sunrise Club, Champions Foundation and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 203 orders came in today and all went out to families today, including those carried over from yesterday. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The AM volunteers came from Sacred Heart Parish today. They braved the cold wind and were cheerful throughout. Food boxes arrived on time and half were packed by the group, as well as all the incoming groceries were handled. Thank you, crew!

Thanks for the oranges today. We were able to provide more than half the families a bag of mandarin oranges. They add such an element of fun and color.

The crew noticed many personal notes in grocery bags and plenty of decorated on the outside of the bags. Thank you for these special touches. We can only imagine someone smiling when they find them at home. Thank you!

Eastside Baby Corner in Issaquah provide a nice donation of diapers, socks, feminine hygiene and more today. They’ve been a great partner since the beginning. Thank you, EBC, and thank you, Theresa, for the delivery.

A few stories and updates:

You’ve been reading about Erwin and his wife, Irma, who has had an ongoing cough for months. She’s been spending time at Harborview the past few weeks and had an appointment this past Tuesday afternoon with specialists who had been running tests. The indications were it was a 90% chance of cancer in her lungs. They were very nervous but were holding to their faith. Erwin emailed earlier today he would come late for groceries after 5pm. At 5:30pm, he came knocking at the door and bounced through it with a huge smile on his face. No cancer! Clearly relieved, he was very excited to share this news, as he knows many people have been praying for them through this email. They tested a suspicious site three times through a biopsy and all the doctors guessed cancer, but all 3 tests came back definitively negative. She is now on an inhaler, and they will continue to work to find out what is causing the cough. But it is not cancer. Erwin shared they have only told Jubilee of this entire episode, as they trust the people here. They’ve not told their 21-year-old daughter, nor their mothers in Honduras. They are so grateful for the care received at Jubilee and for the many (thousands!) of prayers for them. Thank you for that. Please keep praying for them. They were prepared for bad news and for their lives to change direction. They put their trust in God, either way. Now they are moving forward.
Desi is a person who has been coming to the program since the spring but hasn’t been highlighted before. She came today with her son and shared a bit of her life. She works full-time at Wal-Mart, making $15 per hour. She hasn’t lost her job but was greatly struggling before the pandemic. She is a single mom with 7 children, ages 9-22. They all live in a 2 bedroom apartment in Bellevue for $2000 rent per month. Her two oldest sons works at local restaurants to help with bills. Pre-pandemic, they struggled to pay bills on time and had to get creative to find enough food. Now in the ‘Groceries for Families’ program, their lives have stabilized. Food is now secure for them for the first time. The money they save at Jubilee, allows them to pay their bills. She’s not missed a bill since the spring. It has changed their life. This is a good story of a family who needed help before the virus. Please pray for them.

There’s a fun connection to share about the morning donors and the afternoon families receiving groceries. During the morning, people are dropping off all sorts of things at Jubilee. The groceries come in with the church or group initials on the side. It is easy for those of us doing this each day to make a facial connection of the donor to a certain bag, despite the high volume. Then, in the afternoon, we watch those same groceries make their way from the lobby to a grocery cart. Seeing the bag and initials, it is easy to recall the face of the person who donated it hours earlier. Now, we get to see the face of the person receiving it. It is quite beautiful and causes an instant connection. Despite you all not being able to experience this, try to imagine it. Your groceries (& diapers, rice, laundry pods, hygiene, etc…) do go home with a specific family. Someone in this community takes them home. They are in that home right now. Food is eaten. Soap cleans something. Pets are cared for. Diapers keep a baby clean. That’s how it works. Thank you for making that possible. May your heart be filled with love and joy.

Thanks for another great week in ‘Groceries for Families’. Have a great weekend.

Bless you all,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/24/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/24/21

Groceries for Families: Week 48 - Day 2

Well, it wasn’t quite spring today, but it was starting to feel that way by the end of the afternoon. The morning was quite chilly, which is good for keeping food cold. The afternoon crew was taking jackets off, once they got moving. It was nice to be dry and have no wind. Wednesdays are a very busy day, with many, many people coming all morning with groceries, hygiene, and pantry items. Thank you, everyone! It’s so fun to see so many faces…well, eyeballs. The afternoon was a steady line for 2.5 hours. It felt calm and not rushed, but the pace never let up. In the end, it was one of the busiest days, in terms of the quantity of food sent out, that we’ve ever had. The last person was served right at 3:30pm. Loved this day!

Groceries today were provided by St. Louise, Indian Fellowship, Crossroads Bible, Calvary Chapel Eastside, Newport Covenant, Bellevue Christian Reformed, 24-Seven 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 275 orders came in today (thank you for the extras!) and all but 30 went out to families today. The remainder will go out first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today!

The AM volunteers today were primarily from Bellevue Presbyterian Church. Unlike yesterday, where the food boxes arrived very late at 11:30am, today’s boxes arrived at 8:45am. (This is why it is good the temperature was cold.) The crew worked very hard to receive and process all the groceries, as well as bring in many pantry and hygiene donations. They also packed 120 food boxes with fresh produce. Well done, crew! Thank you.

The crew was spoiled by two ladies today bringing homemade food, both from El Salvador. Angelina brought her, now famous, beef tacos with extra-hot sauce. BOOM! Be careful. Her son, Brian, delivered them to us. Secondly, Mercedes brought chicken tamales and El Salvadoran hot chocolate which is extra thick and smells of spices. Interestingly, Mercedes is on the waiting list currently, with this being only her second time to come. Yet, she already felt compelled to express her gratitude through food. It is very special to receive food, knowing it was made with love.

You’ve read in this space a few times in the past month or so about Marcia (MAR-see-uh) who is from Nicaragua and has been in the program since June, with her husband and daughter. She is dealing with her mother’s death last fall and the pressure being put on her family here by the extended family in Nicaragua. She wrote an email, which extends to all of you:

“No había tenido la oportunidad de Agradecer a la comunidad de Jubilee por su valiosa labor y aportación a mi persona. Quisiera contar un poco acerca de mí experiencia: Ingreso al Programa en Junio del 2020 ante la pérdida de mi trabajo en Febrero, no omito manifestar que fue un duro golpe para nuestra economía pues dependen de mí, no solo mi núcleo familiar, sino también mi hermana en Nicaragua. Sumado a esto mi madre fallece y entro a un estado de depresión y stress que hasta hoy me golpea. En Jubilee no solo encontre ayuda alimenticia, también amigos que me escuchan entre ellos Ken. Espero y tengo fé, de que, en este, nuevo año pueda encontrar un nuevo trabajo 🏠y este además lleno de bendiciones en mi vida. Gracias a todas las personas que hacen que este proyecto siga vivo, a sus donadores👏, a esas personas que estan ahí y no puedo ver les deseo inmensas bendiciones y que Dios multiplique su ayuda.❤ De igual manera espero algún día poder retribuir esta ayuda a Jubilee, si Dios🙏 me lo permite siendo una colaboradora en sus labores de ayuda o quizás una donadora si Jehova me bendice con recursos. Nuevamente Gracias Jubilee, un abrazo enorme de mi parte y Bendiciones.” Marcia

“I have not had the opportunity to thank you the Jubilee community for your valuable labor and care for me as a person. I would like to share my experience: I came into the program in June 2020 after I lost my job in February. I cannot state enough the huge economic hit, not only for my immediate family but as well for my sister in Nicaragua. In addition to my mom passing away, which led me to depression and stress that is still affecting me today. At Jubilee, not only did I find help with food, but friends who would listen to me, one of those being Ken. I wait and have faith, I will find a new job in this new year 🏠 and that it will be filled with blessings in my life. Thank you to all the people who make this for this project to continue, to the donors 👏, the people in the building, and others I do not see. I wish you immense blessings and may God multiply your help. ❤ In whatever way, I hope to be able to repay this help to Jubilee, if God 🙏 allows in being a contributor in your efforts or possibly as a donor if Jehovah blesses me with resources. Once again, thank you Jubilee. A great hug on my behalf and blessings.” - Marcia

Uniquely, Denisse, who is the Community Care Coordinator at Jubilee REACH and daily the person checking families in outside, knows this family well and is friends with their daughter. She wrote the following words to add her own perspective:

“I know Marcia since couple of years ago. She is so kind, so peaceful person, she has always a good vibe if you are around her, she is a wonderful mom and I think she is one of the best vets in her country and the whole world.. ❤ Her daughter is a wonderful friend to me .. I’ve been at their house and Marcia treats me like another daughter and I know it’s been so hard for her to heal all the situations that she’s been trough. She helps her family in Nicaragua and I know its not easy being apart from family and friends. Jubilee is something special for her, every time when she comes she always says how grateful she is to get the food and all that we do for families. She doesn’t have a job right now and I know she is waiting for some opportunities to get something soon. She is a believer in God and her faith is huge. My friend ( her daughter ) she is working and studying since I know her. Her husband is a hard worker. And Marcia is so special. 😊 “

Marcia’s testimony and the story are very affirming that, while the tangible needs of families are being met in the form of food and other items, the relational and unseen needs are also being met. This is so heartwarming to hear, and we hope this is true for many more people, even if their stories are never fully known. Simply knowing that someone cares can be such a strong encourager to keep moving forward. While Marcia doesn’t know your names, she knows there are people whom she does not see, making this possible. You. Please receive her gratitude, thanks, and wish for God to bless you. Perhaps, one day, she will become a volunteer at Jubilee, too.

Thanks for another great day. There is a warmth, which feels strong right now, here at the end of the day. May you feel it too.

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 2/24/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 2/24/21

Groceries for Families: Week 48 - Day 1

Week 48 is here and begins on a very positive note. Even the weather was decent, with only the wind making it feel chilly. There were very dark clouds to the north over Kirkland, but they never came south. Whew! The morning was a steady stream of people dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Busy place! Thank you everyone. Families lined up right at 1pm and kept a steady pace all afternoon. Like last Tuesday, many families picked up food for other families, so there were many double, triple, and quadruple orders for the crew to pack. It is great to have families helping each other in this way.

February 23, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Bellevue Christian Reformed, Crossroads Bible, Covenant Presbyterian, Cornerstone Fellowship, Westminster Chapel, Bellevue Presbyterian, Creekside Covenant, East Shore Unitarian and Awakening churches, as well as Bellevue Kiwanis and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 189 orders came in today and all went out to families, as well as 31 more carried over from last week. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The AM volunteers were from Crossroads Bible Church. This group of guys did a great job of receiving and processing all the incoming orders. The USDA food boxes were very late today, arriving at 11:30am. The team worked overtime to get 100 of the boxes packed with fresh vegetables and fruit by 12:15pm. Thank you, crew!

Volunteers brought food for the market from the Safeway Thrasher’s Corner, QFC Crossroads (twice), Whole Foods Bellevue, Trader Joes Overlake, and a local distributor (three times). Wow! This food anchors the market of extra food offered to families daily. Thank you to all the volunteers who make this happen weekly.

We offered an extra market day last Friday afternoon for the families. This an opportunity to put out non-perishables and any extra items which are donated. Families are allowed to take two bags or boxes.

There were handmade spring dresses donated for young girls, which were very, very popular.

An ice cream donation from a local caterer with a broken freezer added some fun, too. Thank you to those who bring these extra items for such days.

The manager of the Snoqualmie Ridge Starbucks Café attends Crossroads Bible Church and has participated in the grocery program. She organized a Valentine’s Day drive at her store to engage customers in bringing pantry items for the ‘Groceries for Families’ program. It was a huge success, and she dropped off a car load last Friday. Thank you, Jennifer!

Senior lunches were delivered to 32 individuals in the community by Barb and her crew today. A tasty lunch of chicken salad sandwiches and many other treats was prepared. Along with Gina and Theresa, they split up three routes, departing about 10:30am. One goes through Lake Hills, one to Crossroads/NE Bellevue, and one circle from Kelsey Creek to downtown Bellevue to north Bellevue. All lunches are delivered within an hour. Thank you, ladies!

We added 3 blue cones and handicapped signs to the operation today, supplied by a donor (one of you). Two mark close parking spaces very clearly. The third marks a spot in line right upfront. This will allow someone with a handicap to bypass a line. It’s honestly something we should have added long ago. It felt really good to have it in place today. Thank you, Karleen.

A few stories:

Lunch was brought today by Maria, who usually spoils the crew on Tuesdays. Today was homemade tuna fish sandwiches. Her niece delivered it today and picked up Maria’s groceries. She continues to express her gratitude through cooking.

You’ve been hearing about Erwin and his family through this email over the past month or so. His wife is dealing with an undiagnosed cough which has lingered since last summer. They have been at Harborview visiting specialists. Last week, they did some more extensive tests. Erwin came for groceries late on Friday (off hours) and shared his fear that the news could be cancer. He was very emotional. They had an appointment today at 2:15pm with the specialists to hear the results. He will likely email or come to Jubilee to share the results as we walk alongside him. Please pray for their family. They have two children at home and a 21-year-old daughter in Seattle.

A few weeks ago, this email detailed Lily who took prepacked sandwiches from a distributor delivery down to Pioneer Square to give to the homeless. She did it again this afternoon and sent back many pictures. She admitted being a bit scared to go there but feels called to do so. One guy recognized her from two weeks ago and thanked her for coming back. Tomorrow at 1:30pm, Lily has a job interview to be a server at an Issaquah restaurant. She is very excited and nervous. She hasn’t worked since losing her job last May. Please pray for her.

As you read last Tuesday, we invited 59 families to enter the program from the waiting list and 32 came. More will likely come this week. We begin this week with 761 families registered in the ‘Groceries for Families’ program, 3424 people. The daily count is 248 Tuesday, 247 Wednesday, and 266 Thursday. We added most of the new families intentionally, so any extra food from earlier in the week will carry over. There are 6 families on the new waiting list. Adding the new families was a bit of a leap of faith. Interestingly, just as we made that decision last week, Cascadia Produce emailed to offer an extra pallet of 48 food boxes on Thursday. Prayer answered! That new pallet will begin next week. Please pray there will be enough food for all the families this week; it will be close by the end of Thursday.

‘Groceries for Families’ continues to roll along. It is helping so many of the vulnerable families in our community. Thank you for all you’re doing to help. It matters. Please continue to pray for provision and guidance. Many decisions will need to be made in the coming months, and we are actively seeking discernment.

Have a great evening, wherever this email finds you,

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

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

Groceries for Families: Week 47 - Day 3

Week 47 of ‘Groceries for Families’ ends on a very positive note. After worrying about the impending snow a week from today, this week has had relatively easy weather. Today was a mix of rain and sun, with wind and cold temperatures whisking through at times. No complaints, though. Some of you have asked what we would have done if the snow came on Tue-Thu. It is likely we would have had to close the operation, honestly. Let’s pray we don’t face that again this year. Today, the parking lot was filled all morning with people bringing groceries, a pantry, and hygiene items. Truly, people are so happy when coming here. Thank you to everyone! Families came early and came late, with a quiet period in the middle…typical Thursday. Great day!

Groceries today were provided by Lighthouse, Victory Court, Bellevue Presbyterian, Doxa, First United Methodist, Highland Covenant, Crossroads Bible, 24-Seven, Sacred Heart Parish & School, and Overlake Park Presbyterian churches, as well as Rotary Bellevue Sunrise, Champions Foundation and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 194 orders came in today and all went out to families today, along with 23 carried over from yesterday. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The AM volunteers today were from Sacred Heart Parish and included a family of 7. This group worked hard all morning bringing in groceries and packing food boxes. Thank you, crew!

Some lovely bouquets of roses came in today, which volunteers divided into mini-bouquets. A mother and daughter made many beautiful arrangements, too. About 50 ladies received flowers today, which lit up many faces with smiles. Thank you for these extra gifts.

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. Please pray for Pastor Guzman and his crew which are helping so many people there. We are blessed to be connected to them.

Doughnuts from Top Pot were brought in bulk by volunteers, as they often do weekly. Volunteers portioned these into 5 items bags, and they all went out to the market. Thank you, Mary & Kevin!

A quick story:

Some of you who have been on this email thread a long time may remember the ongoing story of young Leo who was having seizures. Erika, the mom, came regularly with updates which made it into this email. Many of you prayed for them and asked regularly for updates. Since November, we haven’t seen Erika here. She was just gone and not responding to communication. We had no idea what happened. This afternoon, she showed up…with Leo and her older son. It was like a reunion! So great to see her. She shared her own health has been very poor, where she was in the hospital much of December and is still receiving treatment. Other chaos has also plagued their family, which simply kept them away. She is feeling better, so she came back. Normally she would go on the waiting list, but we were able to add her back to the program. Leo’s health has been stable. They still go to Children’s Hospital for check-ups, but there have been no more seizures. Her story reveals to us that just because a family stops coming, doesn’t mean they don’t need help any longer. Life gets in the way. Life gets hard and overwhelming.

This note below is in the “Hall of Fame’” for this email. It was originally published on September 2 and is getting republished here so more people can read it. It captures the heart of this ‘Groceries for Families’ program. Liz works at Jubilee REACH and has served on the grocery crews from the beginning. Pure poetry…enjoy.

Hi all,

Today I was staring out my office window as I zoned out for a minute from monotonously entering donations into our database. I have a second-floor view of the Groceries for Families. I saw two women talking on the lawn and families loading cars with fresh food. I saw Ken in his neon vest balancing two boxes and a grocery bag on the way to someone’s car. I saw feet shuffling in line under the carport. I saw vehicles pulling in and out of the parking lot – coming and going from the rest of their complex, busy, beautiful, and lives.

Then it dawned on me just how incredible it is that I get to be at this intersection of real community. One person comes in the morning with their groceries. In the afternoon, it’s their neighbors, coworkers, fellow parents of BSD students who receive these groceries. But it’s not a one-way transaction.

I’ve seen our neighbors’ artwork on cards going into bags of groceries. And I’ve seen the artwork of kids who eat those groceries line our walls in the center. I’ve eaten the delicious rice pudding that afternoon families have made. And I’ve eaten one too many donuts that families have dropped off for us staff in the morning. Families on both sides of the program have shared how they loving talking with people when they come to Jubilee – they have a sense of community here.

I’m not just entering numbers into a database. I’m standing at this intersection of community. I get to connect the generosity of our community with the lives of real people around me. And I get to witness and partake in the various forms of gratitude and generosity families reciprocate. It’s a beautiful thing to have a job like this, and I’m thankful to work with you all and thankful for the joy and diligence each of you brings to the table. Keep up the good work in whatever you are doing – It matters.

With gratitude,
Liz Meyer
Investor Relations Coordinator

On Monday, we invited all 59 families on the waiting list to enter the full program. This week, 32 came and were registered. We’ll see next week if more come, which is likely.

Some of you have heard this already. When the book is written about the ‘Groceries for Families’ program one day, there certainly will be chapters on the families and about the food/diapers. However, it is clear now, nearly 1 year in, that the real stories will come from the people donating week in and week out. So many of you have shared how your lives and faith have been strengthened by giving. Your hearts have been opened and filled with love, which you pour into these families. Some of you have cried, sharing details. You have been healed. What was empty, has been filled. Where there was confusion, there is clarity. There are pure happiness and joy. It is a wonderful gift how each of us is transformed, the more we serve others…no strings attached, no expectations, nothing in return. Thank you, all of you.

Have a great weekend,

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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