 A note from Linda Thurston, one of our Second Helping coordinators, written in July, 2018:
Last Sunday Pastor Caela talked about the Mutuality of Hospitality. Second Helping, the community meals we plan, prepare, and serve every Sunday in Pioneer-Blachly provide hot meals for those in the community who need food and conversation. Second Helping also blesses us with the opportunity to visit with guests and volunteers and an opportunity to serve God’s children. Did you know? Second Helping serves 100-150 hot meals every month. We also provide sack breakfast/lunches for all our guests. What does it take to provide up to 300 meals a month: Volunteers: cooks, kitchen crews, church hosts, and coordinators who plan meals, order food, and pick up groceries and supplies. That’s a minimum of 10 people a week! (and about 27-30 hours a week!) Supplies: the church budget provides most of our supplies and paper products. We use over 100 sandwich bags a week, which we fill with sandwiches, cookies, and carrots and celery. Food: During the school year, we often receive food recovered from the K-State training table, which is frozen for use to store and use as needed. We also receive some commodities, such as ground beef, noodles, rice, and canned fruit and vegetables. We purchase needed weekly groceries at Hy-Vee at a discount. We often need to buy: • 4 loaves a bread a week • 35 breakfast bars a week • 70 – 105 cookies a week • 70 packages of instant oatmeal a week • 35 packaged peanut butter or cheese crackers a week • dinner rolls (about 4 dozen) Donations: On the first Sunday of every month, we collect food items and cash donations that go to providing our meals. Church volunteers sometimes bring dessert for our Sunday meals. Others bring produce or extra food and beverages from catered events. Wondering how you can be a part of Second Helping? You can: Volunteer to be a church host (training provided). Volunteer to cook or be part of the kitchen crew (training provided). Sign up to provide dessert for 35-40 on Sunday evening. Give a cash donation (PayPal | other options) Include our guests and volunteers in your prayers. Donate food: breakfast bars, packaged cookies (Oreos are very popular), instant oatmeal packet, packaged cheese crackers, And our guests appreciate fresh produce, fruit and home-made goodies. Last year we put out donated pears, tomatoes and cucumbers for our guests to take when they picked up their sack lunches– a big hit! Our guests are thankful for our efforts – some help out as we set up or clean up. Guests have handed us coins to help with expenses. Others play the piano for the group or help others with more iced tea or coffee. And we as individuals and as the church are blessed by our guests and our community of volunteers…. The mutuality of hospitality. Linda Thurston Comments are closed.
|
