GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/28/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/28/21

Groceries for Families: Week 61 - Day 2

Today was a typically busy, busy Wednesday and fortunately, the weather cooperated nicely. The morning was chilly, even cold enough to make hands cold, but it warmed up steadily when the sun broke through in the late morning. The afternoon was lovely, with sunshine and warmth. The forecast looks stormy, so tomorrow may not be so nice. The morning had a busy parking lot with many happy people dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! We describe these people as ‘happy’, simply because they are. Volunteers comment regularly on how happy people are when dropping off donations. It is contagious! The afternoon was a nonstop busy pace of families coming through, from 1pm right up through 3:30pm. Busy and great day!

May 26, 2021

Today was a typical busy, busy Wednesday and fortunately the weather cooperated nicely. The morning was chilly, even cold enough to make hands cold, but it warmed up steadily when the sun broke through in the late morning. The afternoon was lovely, with sunshine and warmth. The forecast looks stormy, so tomorrow may not be so nice. The morning had a busy parking lot with many happy people dropping off groceries, pantry and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! We describe these people as ‘happy’, simply because they are. Volunteers comment regularly how happy people are when dropping off donations. It is contagious! The afternoon was a nonstop busy pace of families coming through, from 1pm right up through 3:30pm. Busy and great day!

Groceries today were provided by 24-Seven, St. Louise, Calvary Chapel Eastside, Newport Covenant, Bellevue Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Christian Reformed, and Indian Fellowship churches, as well as the Rotary Club of Bellevue, the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 219 orders came in today and all went out to families. Thank you to everyone who donated.

The AM crew was mainly from Bellevue Presbyterian Church today. They worked hard all morning receiving all the deliveries and getting them organized. Food boxes didn’t show up until 12:30pm, which is the latest ever. The crew quickly iced and wrapped three pallets. Then they packed one pallet with fresh produce, working incredibly fast. By noon, we were set. Wow! Thank you and well done crew.

Communication continued to families today about the changes to the GFF program. Notes were put in each grocery bag, as we aim to do things differently each week to reach people. There are three more days left for families to come to talk with us, and we expect a steady flow beginning Friday. We hope to have the framework of Phase 3 of GFF by June 11 out to all partner leaders. Stay tuned. Please pray for this time of discernment and listening.

Boy Scout Troop 624 of Mercer Island recently did a neighborhood drive for ‘Groceries for Families’. They changed their requested list from non-perishable foods to a very specific list of pantry items used here. They hung them on doorknobs two weekends ago and then picked up all the donations last weekend. Wow, what a great job they did! Volunteers today picked up a huge load, which filled a car. Nearly everything is a perfect match for the GFF operation. Thank you so much, Scouts and leaders!

A few stories and updates:

Hamadi comes for groceries each Wednesday, sometimes with his kids, and has been in the program for about a year. They have 7 or 8 children, including a newborn. He and Trenton have connected well this spring, as they both have ties to Kenya. Hamadi is originally from Kenya, and Trenton was a missionary in Kenya for three years. It’s fun to watch Trenton practice his Swahili. They have a nice friendship. We’ve been following Ramadan through Hamadi this spring, which has been interesting. He’s a nice man and doing all he can to care for his family.

There is a woman who comes each week to pick up groceries for her family and three others. She told us today she is soon starting a full-time nanny position which pays well enough that she can exit the program in a week or two. We celebrated with her. The difficulty will be transitioning the other families to pick up their own food. She is trying to help them manage the change and clearly concerned for them. It’s an interesting situation, which we appreciate her care in helping it go well.

Three different families brought lunch for the crew today:
- Angelina and her two sons brought El Salvadoran enchiladas and rice. All were gone by the end of the day. Yum!
- Mercedes brought El Salvadoran pupusas with coleslaw. Most were gone today. Yum!
- Maria brought Mexican enchiladas, which will lunch tomorrow

Thanks for another great day in ‘Groceries for Families’. While a transition is coming and numbers are trending down slightly, the daily operation remains focused on loving the people right in front of us each day. There are needs being met for these families, some tangible and some intangible. Some will feed their families and some will feed their souls. Please continue to pray for them. Thank you for all you’re doing to support them. Hopefully, you feel a connection to them and are feeling an impact on your own life.

Blessings to you all,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/28/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/28/21

Groceries for Families: Week 61 - Day 1

Today marks the beginning of week 61 of ‘Groceries for Families’. What started with an 8-week window in March 2020, has continued to support these families for 14+ months. Wow! Today’s weather was just great for the operation. Cool, but not cold, temperatures greeted us this morning. It warmed up progressively all day, but not too warm, giving way to a lovely afternoon. The parking lot was busy this morning with lots of people happily dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! Families kept a steady pace up all afternoon. It felt slow and calm, yet by the end of the day, a normal amount of food was given out. A very happy day here!

May 25, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Bellevue Christian Reformed, Bellevue Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, Cornerstone Fellowship, Westminster Chapel, Covenant Presbyterian, Creekside Covenant, Saint Madeleine Sophie, and East Shore Unitarian churches, as well as Bellevue Kiwanis and the Jubilee Friend group. A total of 174 orders came in today and all went out to families. Thank you to everyone who donated.

The AM volunteers were from Bellevue Christian Reformed Church, with a good mix of returning and new volunteers. They worked hard all morning receiving deliveries, sorting grocery store food, making flower bouquets, and packing food boxes. The food boxes arrived late at 11:30am. They worked overtime to pack one pallet of 48 boxes with fresh produce. Well done and thank you, crew!

We want to thank the stores and volunteers who bring deliveries at the beginning of each week: Safeway Thrashers Corner from Kathy & Dale; Whole Foods Bellevue from Fred; QFC Crossroads from Mike, Gil & Kyle; Safeway Overlake from Duanne & Bob via Renewal Food Bank; Trader Joes Overlake from Fred; Local Distributor from Mike and Gil. Thank you everyone for your time each week. This extra food fills the market daily. Lots of flowers came in yesterday and today. Volunteers made small bouquets from them, so everyone was offered flowers today.

The USDA Food Boxes will be ending nationwide next Monday, so this is our last week to receive them. The greatest loss within the boxes is milk and meat. We’re asking if donors can provide gallons of milk (2% or Whole) each day, at least through July 1, beginning next week. We have been filling the freezers with meat all spring, so have a good supply to use in June. We will be adding lettuce to the fresh produce purchased each morning. We’re expecting to see fresh produce from local farms start to be available, as it was last summer. Hopefully, this will come in June. The overall operation shouldn’t be impacted much by this change. Thank you for the milk, as it is a key essential provided for families.

Senior lunches were delivered today to 32 people in the community. A very tasty lunch of chicken alfredo and many extras went out with Barb, Gina, and Theresa. There is a lot of love poured into these meals each week. Thank you, ladies!

A few stories and updates:

A few weeks ago a very special thank you poster was given to the crew by nine-year-old Hadassah. (photo on the right for reference) In it, she mentioned wanting to come to pray with us, which she’s seen from her place in line with her mom. Today, she came. Her poster is taped to the wall, so we read it out loud. She then led us in prayer, in English, not Romanian. Her mom was surprised and impressed. It was a lovely prayer of thanksgiving. We returned the thanks with a stuffed animal and chocolate for her and her two younger sisters. What a sweet family!

There are a few families from Turkmenistan in the program. One woman has learned enough English to communicate well and is quite delightful to chat with. Today she showed up a young lady (17) whom she introduced as her nephew (we helped her learn the word ‘niece’.) Her niece just arrived from Turkmenistan because her mother won a green card lottery. The country is actually closed for people to leave, so there was a tiny window for them to come. Her aunt was overjoyed to have her there and simply couldn’t stop smiling. There are now 8 people in their home, so they’ve become a ‘large’ family for GFF. Please pray for them, as they make this adjustment.

When cones go out around 10am, families are allowed to place bags to hold their place in line. Always waiting in her car is Maraya, who is very sweet and has a daughter named Vanessa, who has made many-colored drawings for the crew. Today, she looked very sad. Asking her, she shared that her mother (75) has come from Yakima for a very serious operation this Friday at Harborview. She is worried. Furthermore, her father and brother are also not well. She is caring for all of them and feels the burden, along with her concern. A nice hug helped, but she is in need of prayers. Please keep them all in your prayers this week.

We’re continuing to communicate with families about the transition to the GFF program. All are invited to come talk with us Mondays or Fridays if they will need support after July 1. Last Friday about 10 famliies came and another 10 came yesterday. We’re up to about 55 families so far, which have come to talk. The last opportunity will be June 7. We expect to have the framework of the next GFF version by June 11 to all partners.

We begin this week with 639 families registered with ‘Groceries for Families’ and another 32 on the waiting list. The slight downward trend continues. Overall, the attendance is still about the same, as it is families who don’t consistenly come which are dropping off.

Thank you for a great start to the week. Many of you are asking about and anticipating the details of the next version of GFF. As you know, we are seeking to be led to it by talking with the families first and then talking to the donors. Through both sides, we expect the operational framework and level of support to come together. Not overcontrolling it feels to be in line with the full history of GFF from the beginning. Please join us in prayer and discernment in the coming weeks.

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 5/24/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21

Groceries for Families: Week 60 - Day 3

We end the week with a very positive day. The weather was consistent, with a very cool morning and warm afternoon. The morning was quite busy with a lot of people happily coming to Jubilee with groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! The afternoon was a steady pace of families keeping us all busy. The beginning long line went away quickly but there seemed to always be people coming. This week, including today, also had plenty of new people coming, which was surprising. We added them to the waiting list and provided them all food. It makes us realize there are families still out there needing help.

May 20, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Overlake Park Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Sacred Heart Parish & School, Doxa, Victory Court, Crossroads Bible, Highland Covenant, Bellevue Presbyterian and Lighthouse churches, as well as Bellevue Sunrise Rotary Club, Champions Foundation and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 174 orders came in today and all went out to families, along with 25 carried over from yesterday. Thank you to everyone who donated!

The morning crew was from Overlake Park Presbyterian Church today, with a good mix of returning veterans and new volunteers. This group worked hard all morning receiving the incoming deliveries, icing the food boxes, and packing about 65 food boxes. Well done and thank you, crew!

A picture of the fish freezer is attached. A few donors keep it well stocked for those families which do not eat chicken. There is usually a nice assortment and those families are very appreciative of the extra option.

Fresh produce from local gardens has begun to show up at Jubilee, mainly greens. Today there was lettuce, chard, herbs, and more. It was a very fun addition to the market. If you know of anyone with a garden in need of a place to distribute the vegetables, please direct them to Jubilee. All are welcome.

A few stories and updates:

Lily came about 11am to pick up two boxes of sandwiches, provided by a local distributor. She took them to downtown Seattle, giving them to homeless people near the waterfront and near Pioneer Square. She said some were hard to locate today. She’s created her own little ministry and is called ‘the sandwich lady’ by some people. She has such a good heart for helping.

We had trouble with one person today. A woman on the waiting list came just after 2pm, which it was plenty busy. People on the waiting list need to wait until after 3pm to receive food. She wouldn’t leave the market area, despite being asked to wait outside the operation. Very casually, she took some food from the market and walked to her car, which was witnessed by our staff. We soon talked to her, where she flat denied taking anything. Lying crosses the line, so she was asked to leave. It’s always such a tough situation when things like this happen. We operate with lots of grace and understanding. Yet, there are some things which go too far. We’ll see if she returns next week.

Rachel is a woman who comes late every Thursday and lives close to Jubilee. She is very nice and has always remained pretty private. Today, she opened up a bit for some reason. She shared that her mother has now moved in with them, meaning another person to feed. She, herself, is in a recovery program, so working hard to straighten out her life. She feels guilt and shame for coming for help, yet expressed such gratitude for the Jubilee program. She knew Jubilee before the pandemic, so felt comfortable coming, knowing there wasn’t a hidden agenda. Despite needing help and feeling welcomed at Jubilee, she said how hard it is to come each week. She’s a wonderful person, trying hard to care for her family. Please pray for them.

You may recall reading about David and his family, who are Jewish. They left the program in the spring when he got a full-time job. A number of boxes of Chanukah candles came in this week, so we emailed him to ask if they wanted them. He came by this afternoon to get them. They are doing well. His job is a good fit for him. His wife is working part-time at retail. Their daughter will finish 6th grade soon. Please continue to pray for them.

We continued the communication with families about the transition coming to ‘Groceries for Families’. Daniel is putting a lot of energy into speaking to everyone, some for the first time and most for the second. Hopefully, the message is sinking in. We’re hoping to see many families tomorrow from 9am-3pm for conversations. Stay tuned.

Thank you for another great week of ‘Groceries for Families’. Please continue to pray for these families and this operation. Thank you for your continued support in so many ways.

Have a great weekend,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21

Groceries for Families: Week 60 - Day 2

Today was another interesting day of weather. The morning was very cold, rainy, and breezy…not much fun. Thank goodness the gutter system around the canopies still works so well. By noon, the rain had stopped, but it was still chilly. Yet, at 1pm, when we opened for families, the sun came out, giving way to a lovely afternoon. While the families benefited from the warm weather, the people dropping off groceries, pantry, and hygiene items had to face the elements. Thank you for the donations, everyone, and for getting a little wet. Families lined up right at 1pm and kept a steady pace up all afternoon. It was a typical Wednesday, which is great to see after the communication last week about the future of the program. It’s hard to know how people will react.

May 19, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Newport Covenant, Bellevue Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, St. Louise, Calvary Chapel Eastside, 24-Seven, Indian Fellowship, and Bellevue Christian Reformed churches, as well as the Rotary Club of Bellevue, the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 226 orders came in today and all but 24 went out to families today. The remaining will go out first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

Food boxes arrived late today, around 11:20am. The AM volunteers from Bellevue Presbyterian quickly wrapped four pallets in ice & blankets, and then blazed through packing one whole pallet of boxes with fresh produce. They worked hard all morning, on a busy Wednesday. Thank you, crew!

We are continuing to communicate changes to the program to families. A picture of the whiteboard at the front of the line is to the right. Daniel spent the afternoon greeting all families and providing a full letter for the first time or a reminder note as a second time. Next week notes will go in the grocery bags, so communication is coming from different places.

One hidden part of the operation happens each afternoon on Tue, Wed and Thu. After the families have finished, 2-3 volunteers spend 1.5 hours opening diaper boxes and trimming the wrapped pouches to about 25-30 diapers each. They restock the two areas which hold the prepared diapers for the following day. It is quiet work and takes focus to get it all done. Those who do it weekly have become quite the experts. It is a very important part of GFF. Thank you, all!

A few updates and stories:

A picture of Bertha and Daniel is to the right. Bertha’s family is in the program, and she has been volunteering on the Wednesday afternoon shift since last fall. Her husband goes through the line and then goes home, while she stays to work until 3:30pm, when he returns to pick her up. She helps keep the market stocked and organized. We’ve come to adore her as part of the family. Today, she arrived very sadly, as her sister was due to come to visit from Mexico but learned on the day of departure she was positive for Covid-19, asymptomatic. So, the trip is now delayed until later in the summer. Bertha is both sad and worried now. She asked us to pray for her, which we did during the opening prayer.

Each of the shifts when families are here is staffed with four Jubilee REACH Site Coaches, who primarily work inside specific Bellevue public schools. They lead sports, clubs, and programs inside the schools, all intending to help every student feel like they belong. Most of the GFF families came as referrals from the Bellevue School District. So, lots of kids within the families have relationships with Jubilee REACH coaches at their schools. It is common and quite fun to see reunions happen inside the GFF operation. Coaches and kids greet each other as friends, with the kids just beaming at the chance to see their coach up close. Today had this happen at least five times, with lots of smiles, fist-bumps, and fun chatter. This overlap of worlds is a fun and quite important part of the success of the daily operation.

Fany is a woman who has come since last spring, usually picking up groceries for her family and her sister’s family. She doesn’t speak a lot of English, but we all know her for her smile and her usual attire of shorts and a t-shirt, no matter how cold the weather. For the last month, something must have changed for their families, because she now brings her two young children and her sister’s young son. There are three kids 2-3 years old strapped in car seats in the back seat. The new babysitter has become Trenton. Fany parks in the first handicapped spot, so Trenton can watch and entertain the three kids while she goes through the operation. It works, and everyone is happy…especially the kids, it seems. There is a nice relationship that has blossomed in this story.

Maria brought a small dish of Mexican tuna salad late today. Yum! We’ve had this before. Tomorrow, Barb will turn it into sandwiches for the crew’s lunch.

Thanks for another great day in ‘Groceries for Families’. Hopefully, this daily email keeps your heart connected to what is happening here and that you get a good sense of some of the people being served. They are lovely people and all have a story behind them. Some we know; most we don’t. Please continue to pray for them.

Blessings to you all,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21

Groceries for Families: Week 60 - Day 1

We begin week 60 of ‘Groceries for Families’ with a sudden return to cold spring weather and yet another smooth day in the operation. The cold brought long pants and jackets back, which was hard to do after such a lovely weekend. A chilly breeze kept up all morning, holding the temperature down. Right about noon the wind quit, the sun came out and the afternoon turned to warm & pleasant. The morning was a steady flow of happy people dropping off all sorts of groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! The afternoon was a steady but calm flow of families from start to finish. By the end, attendance numbers were very normal for a Tuesday. It was a lovely day here.

May 18, 2021

Groceries today were provided by St. Madeleine Sophie, Cornerstone Fellowship, Westminster Chapel, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Christian Reformed, East Shore Unitarian, Creekside Covenant, Bellevue Presbyterian, and Covenant Presbyterian churches, as well as Bellevue Kiwanis and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 165 orders came in today and all went out to families, along with 12 carried over from last week. Thank you to all who donated today.

Food boxes arrived right on time at 11:00am today. The AM crew did a great job of quickly icing and wrapping them in insulating blankets, as well as packing one whole pallet with fresh produce. This is the second to last week for the USDA boxes, with next Thursday being our last day to receive them. You can read about the end of the national program here: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/farmers-to-families-food-box. We are prepared to provide meat for all the families (freezers are full!) for the month of June and will be asking shoppers to help with milk, much like we did back in January. Stay tuned for more communication.

At the beginning of each week, food comes from a number of grocery stores, delivered by volunteers, which we want to acknowledge and thank here: Jerry from Target Factoria; Rick from Amazon Go Overlake; Dale & Kathy from Safeway Thrasher’s Corner; Mike, Gil & Kyle from QFC Crossroads; Fred from Whole Foods Bellevue; Bob & Duanne via Renewal Food Bank from Safeway Overlake (including lots of flowers!); Gil & Mike from a Local Distributor; Fred from Trader Joes Overlake. This food fills the market daily and adds a nice variety & choice for families. Thank you!

Senior lunches went out to 32 people in the community today. A very tasty lunch of Tex-Mex Meatballs with an Adobe Sauce, joined by Rice Pilaf was cooked up by Barb. Her team of Gina and Theresa delivered it all around the city late this morning. Thank you, ladies!

A few stories and updates:

You may recall the sweet picture delivered by a 9-year-old last Tuesday. Today, the mom came by herself. We told her the picture was hanging on the ‘wall of fame in the lobby. She hadn’t been allowed to see the picture when her daughter drew it, so had no idea what it looked like. We took her inside to see it, and she was so proud to see the message written by her daughter. She took a picture to save it. Very sweet.

One of the families which came last Friday to talk about the next version shared their story. Their family of four was quite stable before the pandemic and never had received help from anywhere. The husband lost his job in March 2020 and has not recovered yet. They have an autistic child, which has put a lot of pressure on them with the school. They’ve been forced to utilize credit cards to survive, knowing it will be difficult to recover later. But they have no other choice. The food and pantry items from Jubilee have been a huge blessing to them. They’re asking to receive further help after July 1.

Only 14 families have come to talk to us about the next GFF version so far. We will repeat all the communication this week, with Daniel greeting every family in person with a verbal and written explanation of what is changing. We expect many more to come. Of the 14, all but one had an incredibly touching story highlighting their level of need. They all expressed such gratitude for the support for so long. The variety of food, including fresh foods, is important to them. The diapers are a tremendous gift, as are all the essential items provided.

We begin this week with 655 families in ‘Groceries for Families’ and another 34 on the waiting list. We’re not yet sure if we’ll admit the full waiting list one more time or not. At 655, it is down from 669 last week and down about 100 from the peak back in February. It has been slowly trending downward ever since.

Please continue to pray for this program, especially as things begin to transition in the coming weeks. There are many moving pieces and many things not yet known. We want to listen to families and pay attention to doors which open, especially those we are not expecting. We’re excited for the next phase in July, and the bridge to getting there is just starting. Your prayers make all the difference. Thank you.

As this email ends, the rain has returned. What a fun day of weather.

Have a great evening,

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/24/21

Groceries for Families: Week 59 - Day 3

We end the week with a very busy day and another day of sunshine. The morning was still crisp until about 11:00am, but then the sun came out to warm things up. The afternoon was just perfect, with even a warm breeze. The morning was quite calm, with a steady flow of people dropping off all sorts of groceries, pantry, and hygiene items. Thank you, everyone! The afternoon had families lining up deep to begin and then keeping up a steady pace all afternoon. The line didn’t go away totally one time. The last person finished right at 3:30pm. Lots of food and pantry items went home today. Such a nice day.

May 13, 2021

Groceries today were provided by Doxa, Highland Covenant, Victory Court, Lighthouse, Sacred Heart School and Parish, First United Methodist, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as Bellevue Rotary Sunrise, Champions Foundation, and the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 183 orders came in today and all went out to families, along with 45 carried over from yesterday. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

The morning crew was primarily from Sacred Heart Parish and all were returning veterans of the shift. They made it look easy, yet did a lot of work this morning. They received all the incoming deliveries, wrapped the pallets with ice/blankets, and packed around 80 food boxes with fresh produce. Thank you and well-done crew!

Two people filled the fish freezer with packs of tilapia and fresh trout. Wow! Thank you for this very specific gift. It is so helpful for certain families.

A donation of small quilts came in this morning through Overlake Park Presbyterian Church. We passed them out to women we saw in line who are pregnant or had an infant. Lots of smiles! Thank you.

A few updates and stories:

Lily took two boxes of sandwiches to downtown Seattle to pass them out to homeless people. She sent back a few pictures and this summary: “Today in the marketplace there were fewer people 😕. I went to Pioneer Park there weren't any homeless there. But there were waiting for some homeless on The Mision place. I talked to Kile is the person that is in charge of the donations. I realize that they do have a small kitchen and there were cooking hamburgers for the homeless. Even when he saw me and I told him that I brought some sandwiches he was happy 😊😋 even he gives me a hamburger too. He just told me to thank you for the sandwiches and they will give them away today. It was a beautiful and blessed day 🙏✨. I'm grateful to be part of this 🙏🙌✨”

Roger came through the line after learning of the upcoming changes to the program. He kiddingly asked, “What am I going to do on Thursdays now?” We all like him so much. For sure, they will come to talk to us. They have seven children and his wife recently lost her job, including their health insurance. This spring has not made their situation easier; it is much harder.

Arturo was here today, picking up food for him, his sister, and his mom. They live separately but share the food. He told us his sister was in a serious car accident last week, which broke her sternum from the impact with the airbags. The car is totaled, and she spent a day in the hospital. They haven’t told their 81-year-old mother yet, because she suffers from heart issues and is supposed to remain calm, which is hard because she worries about everything. They plan to tell her tonight. We prayed with him in the parking lot. We also gave him a bouquet of tulips and a nice box of chocolates for his sister, and another box of chocolates for his mom. He said they will be happy.

A young man named Miguel came today. In the past, he would come with his mom, but we haven’t seen him in quite a while. He looked completely different – so fit, trim and slender. He lost 125 pounds, from 320 to 195. He said diabetes was starting to cause him serious health issues, so he changed his diet, eating habits and started exercising regularly. His health is now stable. Good for him.

As first shared yesterday…We’re pleased to provide you an update on ‘Groceries for Families’ and the transition coming from the current phase 2 to phase 3, beginning in July. Attached is the letter (English & Spanish) which is being given to families, beginning yesterday. In it, you’ll read we are clearly anticipating a change in the program, yet fully inviting all families who continue to need support to stay in a relationship with us. Through these relational conversations, we expect the structure and scope of the next phase to become clearer by June 11. Additional details are being shared with the primary contacts of all participating partners.

Thank you for another great week of ‘Groceries for Families’. Please keep these families and this program in your prayers. Tomorrow will be the first day for people to come in for a conversation.

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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