Groceries for Families: Week 64 - Day 1

June 15, 2021

We begin week 64 of ‘Groceries for Families’ with, what feels like, some wind in our sails. Decisions have been made about Phase 3, giving way to a lot of clarity. Communication is getting out in all areas, which is always helpful. It feels like we are in a good place together. We seem to have avoided the heavy rains of the past couple of days. Today was very pleasant all day, with gusts of wind and bursts of sunshine, and plenty warm to enjoy being outside. The morning was a busy parking lot of happy people dropping off all sorts of donations. Thank you, everyone! Families started with a long line at the opening, which gave way to a slow but steady pace all afternoon. It was a typical Tuesday, which feels just fine.

Bellevue Christian Reformed Delivery

Groceries today were provided by the Bellevue Kiwanis Club, Rotary Bellevue Sunrise Club, and the Jubilee Friends group, as well as Bellevue Christian Reformed, St. Madeleine Sophie, Creekside Covenant, Covenant Presbyterian, Westminster Chapel, East Shore Unitarian, Crossroads Bible, Bellevue Presbyterian, and Cornerstone Fellowship churches.

A total of 161 orders came in today and all but 18 went out to families today. The remaining will go out first thing tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who donated today.

Today’s AM Crew

The AM crew of volunteers was a mix of veteran volunteers of the shift.  They knew what to do and did it well.  They worked hard and had a lot of fun together.  Thank you, crew!

We want to thank the stores which donate food weekly and the volunteers who bring it to Jubilee.  Kathy & Dale bring food from Safeway Thrasher’s Corner.  Gil and Mike bring food from QFC Crossroads.  Fred brings food from Whole Foods Bellevue.  Fred brings food from Trader Joe’s Overlake.  Duanne and Bob bring food from Safeway Overlake, via Renewal Food Bank.  Mike and Gil bring food from a Local Distributor.  Today, Patti brought some food from the Issaquah Food Bank.  Thank you, everyone!

Senior Lunches

Senior lunches were delivered to 31 people in the community today. A very tasty homemade chili, along with many goodies, were packed up in a lovely bag for each person. Barb, Gina and Theresa took them around the city in the late morning. Thank you, ladies!

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A few stories and updates:

• Shahin volunteered with the crew yesterday morning, which seems to be an enjoyable time for her. She shared that she’ll be ordering the headstone for her husband’s grave on Wednesday this week. While difficult, it seems to be a positive thing for her to be doing. She’s very happy to finally be able to order this important marker. A volunteer, who has been walking alongside her since the fall, will be with her. Please continue to pray for her and her daughter.

• A note from a family: “Your Groceries Program was a big support for our family during this hard time. I have 4 kids, and when schools were closed , I lost my job. And, your program was very helpful; Jubilee Reach help with food, hygiene items, help to pay our Energy bills. We are Muslim and it is so kind that there is always food for us even though we do not eat meat. Thank you for taking extra care of us.”

• A note from a family: “My kids celebrated Halloween, Christmas , Easter , Mother’s Day and many another holidays with you over the past year. It’s not just the food, but all the people who work there became friends for us. Thanks a lot 🙏 My sister is also living with us now so we help them with the stuff we are able to get from Jubilee, too. Everything you give us has been so very helpful. Thank you.”

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The details of Phase 3 have been emailed out to all the administrators for all the partner churches and organizations.  Much like with the families, we’ve asked them to take some time to discern how Phase 3 may fit.  Please continue to pray, as the level of support becomes more clear.  We’re so grateful to everyone who has remained behind ‘Groceries for Families’.

Here are some points for everyone to know about Phase 3:

• 162 families have now come to talk to us about continuing; all of them will be registered to Phase 3

  • Of these, 135 live in Bellevue, 13 live in Redmond and the rest are in the surrounding cities

  • The largest family size is 8 (3 total) and the smallest is 1 (3 total); the average size remains about 4.5 people.

• We’ll be checking in with all families every two months to see how they are doing.

• 34 families are on the waiting list; these are families which came after June 7 to say they need help after July 1; we’ll be making decisions in the coming weeks about this group

• The operation will be open for families each Wednesday from 10am-3pm.

• The first day will be July 7, with a current extension to December 31.

• The current grocery bag item list will remain the same, including a gallon of milk and a rotating hygiene item.

• Grocery donations would be best dropped on Tuesday mornings from 7am-12pm.

• The operation will be set up like a market, allowing for a slower pace and more choices for families.

• New identification cards will be issued to all Phase 3 families.

• Pantry items will remain the same

• New donation options of bulk produce and perishable items will be available. (details later) 

Today’s PM Crew

We begin this week with 597 families in the current ‘Groceries for Families program.  There are two more weeks, beyond this week, for the current phase before we begin phase 3.  Families seem to be in good spirits, including those we chat with who will not be continuing.  There is definitely a consistent expression of gratitude from all.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  A lot of pieces are moving right now.  It’s great to be serving together.

Enjoy your evening, wherever this email finds you,

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