GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/5/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/5/20

Groceries for Families: Week 7 - Day 2

Today was just a great day…pretty normal…but great. The weather was lovely…can you say shorts & t-shirts! It was very busy, with 165 families invited (we always overbook). But it was smooth and fun and just feels like exactly what we all should be doing. Thank you!!!

Today’s groceries were delivered by Crossroads Bible, Cornerstone, Creekside Covenant, Westminster Chapel, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches.

A total of 153 orders were delivered and all of them went out to families today. The leftover orders from yesterday went out as deliveries today at 9:00am, on schedule.

I just love it when all the food goes out and the refrigerators are empty here. I’d much rather food be in the home of families than sitting here.

Laundry detergent and All-Purpose Cleaner were offered to all families today and all said yes! It is wonderful to see the joy in the faces when laundry detergent is provided. See the attached picture of the hygiene area today. You can see everything that is offered. Thank you to all of you who have stocked the pantry.

A fun story: There is a family who is donating 50-100 pounds of flour each week, feeling it is their ministry to provide flour to those in need. They buy it from Cairnspring Mills in Skagit County, driving to pick it up on Friday and delivering it to Jubilee on Tuesday. It’s a great story. If you need flour, take a look at that company.

Tomorrow will be the first day of Mother’s Day gifts. Chocolate is ready to go. Grocery shoppers will hopefully be including flowers and cards. It will be so fun to honor mothers over the next three days.

I wish I could express to you how incredible it feels to be involved in this program/ministry. I hope you feel it too. I just love it. It feels so right from all angles. The thanks and gratitude shared by families is very real and heartfelt. This work matters and is making a difference in the lives of real people. Thank you!!!

If you haven’t had a tour yet of this operation, you are invited to come see me here. Come between 7am-9am for a full tour. Come at 12:30pm to see the operation in motion.

Blessings to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/4/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/4/20

Groceries for Families: Week 7 - Day 1

Such a busy day today. The line stretched across the yard from 12:45 pm – 3:00 pm. The end of the line didn’t reach the building until 3:15 pm. It was calm and normal, but simply never gave a break in the action. Wow!

Such a busy day today. The line stretched across the yard from 12:45pm – 3:00pm. The end of the line didn’t reach the building until 3:15pm. It was calm and normal, but simply never gave a break in the action. Wow!

Groceries today were delivered by CityHill, Common Good, Rain City, Lighthouse, Sacred Heart, Bellevue Christian Reformed, 24-Seven,
and Bellevue Presbyterian churches.

A picture to the right is the daily board. This is how we keep track of deliveries.

A total of 152 orders were delivered and all but seven went out to families today, including about 25 deliveries. The remaining seven were held back for 9 am deliveries tomorrow.

Thank you for all the effort and coordination to
get it all here.

Because of the generous donations, we are able to provide laundry detergent to all the families today through Wednesday. We did this for the first time two weeks ago and are able to do it again already. It is very, very popular and every family received it today. Thank you!

We were also able to offer “All-Purpose Cleaning Spray” for the first time today. Again, it is a very popular item. We didn’t have enough for everyone, but most of the people who requested it were given a bottle. Thank you!

The packing of chocolates for Mother’s Day started today. See the attached pictures of the crew working. The chocolate will go out Wed-Fri to all mothers, along with flowers & cards being included in grocery orders. Thank you!

The market today was stocked with great extras, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of dry items. Thank you for all the extras your shoppers are adding to their groceries and bringing separately. It matters!

Below is a very long email sent from one family today. I’d like to edit it down for you, but there just isn’t time to do so. So, you’re getting the whole thing. Michelle and three of her kids were in a picture back around Easter on April 10, if you want to find it on the blog, www.jubileereach.org/blog/2020/4/14/day-17. They are a sweet family.

Today marks day 1 of week 7. There are about 500 families in the program this week. I don’t have an exact number, as some are still being added from the waiting list by Daniel. I met a few of the people who came for the first time today. I could see the nervousness and timidity in their faces and responses to me. Hopefully they feel welcomed and know this is a place to find love and home, as much as food.

Have a great evening, my dear friends,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/2/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/2/20

Groceries for Families: Week 6 - Day 6

Today started with light rain and finished in heavy rain. Fortunately, the families missed most of the heavy stuff, so no one got really wet. It was a busy, busy 9-10am window, where we work to get 3 hours of work done in 1 hour before opening. Such is Saturday.

Groceries today were provided by Victory Court, Evangelical Chinese, and Bellevue Presbyterian Churches. A total of 130 orders were delivered and nearly all of them went out to families. The rain definitely kept some people away, which can be expected. But overall, it was a great day.

Today’s Time Lapse

Enjoy the time-lapse!

You can see the groceries coming in and the conveyor belt in the center sending them out.

It is a well-oiled machine.

Here’s a count of the bulk food items given out this week, just for fun

Flour: 174 bags, 435 pounds
Rice: 242 bags, 605 pounds
Pinto Beans: 185 bags, 222 pounds
Sugar: 255 bags, 243 pounds
Salt: 202 bags, 132 pounds

We periodically provide extra food and box lunches to a Hispanic Methodist church in West Seattle at the end of the week. It’s been a cool connection to the other side of the lake.

Here’s a text the Pastor sent me yesterday:

Hi Ken.
I hope you and your family are well. On behalf of El Dios Viviente UMC, I want to say thanks to you and all the people who make it possible to obtain and distribute food, especially in this pandemic caused by Covid 19. Our church serves the Hispanic / Latino community, which has been greatly impacted. Many people have lost their jobs, many of them without the hope of receiving any government aid, and this makes it more difficult to obtain the basic elements for life, such as food. With the help of the Jubilee, 179 families have benefited.

Thank you for all.
Pastor Gerardo Guzmán.

As I do each Saturday, here’s a look at statistics to date after 6 weeks:

Program Days: 36
Families currently in the program: 465+
People in these families: 2092 (approximate)
Grocery orders provided: 3450
Churches & Organizations engaged: 27
Different shoppers participating: 850 (approximate)

Two new churches have joined the grocery program: Victory Court (started today) and First United Methodist (starts Thursday). Welcome to both!

Today marks the end of the 6th week of this program. The initial 8-week window for the program has been extended now 4 weeks to June 13. We’ll make another assessment by June 1.

Thank you for your continued commitment to serving a very vulnerable part of our community. What is being done together, simply could not be done alone. It takes all of us to sustain this, and it is truly a marvel to be a part of.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Be back Monday.

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH

P.S. Below is a panoramic photo of the birthday party yesterday, including those who joined via video.
Very cool.

Jubilee REACH Communications 5/1/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 5/1/20

Groceries for Families: Week 6 - Day 5

Today was a great day, with lovely warm weather and lots of nice people around.

It was a steady pace most of the two-hour window.

Today was a great day, with lovely warm weather and lots of nice people around.

It was a steady pace most of the two-hour window.

Groceries were delivered by Covenant Presbyterian, Westminster Chapel, Bellevue Presbyterian, Crossroads Bible, and Evangelical Chinese churches. A total of 142 orders were delivered and most went out to families today, including about 7 deliveries. The remaining few will go out tomorrow.

It’s been great to have the new items of tortillas, which obviously is a favorite for plenty of families.

I asked a woman with three kids if the grocery items were useful to her. She happily replied she uses everything, including last night frying up hamburger with onion and green peppers.

Plans for Mother’s Day are in motion. Thanks to the shoppers who are being given the option of adding a card and flowers to the grocery orders Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next week. Today, See’s Candy delivered six pallets of various chocolates. See below for a picture of the unpacked pallets. These will be decorated and added to the orders. Thank you! Very exciting.

Covenant Presbyterian Issaquah had an interesting delivery today. It started for me with someone tell me the State Patrol was here!

Here are the words from Mary Beth, Covenant Presbyterian delivery volunteer: “After loading up the truck, with one of our biggest loads, we noticed a strange sound coming from our truck. After getting off our Exit, we heard a loud pop and realized our tire exploded. We called the State Patrol for help, and they came quickly only to find out that our spare tire fittings had rusted and we couldn’t get the spare tire off. State patrolman called the DOT to help, and even he couldn’t get the spare off. Said we would have to call a tow truck. But what about the truck FULL of donations??? No problem said state patrolman, she will take them. So, we transferred all of the donations from the truck to the state patrolman’s car and the DOT truck. Together, the donations were delivered!!! Even in our most trying moments, the Lord finds a way to make it happen!” See the two pictures below. Now, that is a cool story!

Covenant Presbyterian with State Portal Officer and DOT Delivery

Box lunches were delivered today by the Bellevue School District, about 450 in total. All but about 150 went out today. The rest will be in the market tomorrow. Thank you!

A few notes from families (see above for picture). The two Spanish notes read:

Hello, my name is Maria and I just wanted to thank all the people who make this possible. Because we really need it, thank you very much. God bless you for what you do. THANKS A LOT.
A heartfelt thanks to all the people who have put all their desire, dedication, and love to help all of us at this time. God embraces you and blesses you forever. THANK YOU.

Today was also my 50th birthday, which ended with a surprise party here on the Jubilee patio. Rosario, a Jubilee REACH employee, made very tasty real Mexican food. My family came, including my parents from Spokane. It was a nice surprise and a fun way to relax together. I feel very loved by this Jubilee family. See above for my family picture.

Tomorrow will be the last day of Week 6. I’m hoping the rain holds off.

Thanks for a great week!

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH

Jubilee REACH Communications 4/30/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 4/30/20

Groceries for Families: Week 6 - Day 4

Today was a busy, busy day. The initial rush lasted an hour, with a line onto the grass. Lots and lots people. Many new faces. Many happy people. The weather was a little windy and chilly, but tolerable.

Groceries today were delivered by Doxa, Kalos, Sacred Heart, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Redeemer, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches. A total of 140 were delivered and all went out to families, including about 30 by delivery. We also gave the leftovers from yesterday to some people on the waiting list.

Overlake Park Presbyterian Church Delivery

A very sweet thank you gift was delivered today by two students at Ardmore Elementary and their mother. See to the right for picture.

It is a science-fair board. They made it with their cousin and presented it to me today.

Jubilee REACh Site Coach, Patrick happened to be working today, who is the site coach at Ardmore. It was a great exchange.

The thank you is for you all, too!

A picture of a man named Roberto is to the right. He just started coming this week, so today is his 2nd day. He was first in line today and just delighted to be here. I walked him back to his friends truck chatting with him.

I asked permission to take his picture, and he was proud to do so. I just wanted you to see him up close. Nice man.

A third carport was donated today by a friend. The AM crew assembled it and placed it over the market. This gives the market twice the canopy coverage, which is awesome for keeping the market open during rain. Thank you, Ray!

Box lunches were provided by Microsoft through the Bellevue School District. We had more than we needed, so gave 200+ to a church in West Seattle which is busy feeding a few hundred families.

The pastor drove over in a truck to get them. The rest were all gone today with the families here.

A few notes from churches sent back to me to share:

I cannot thank you enough for choosing to do this through a partnership with churches. You could have asked us to just send people to you to sign up through JR, but our church would have missed a tremendous blessing. So thank you for coordinating this program so we can do it together!
A huge thanks to you BOTH for your leadership in all of this!! Jubilee’s work has been listed as many of our top “God Wins” in our women’s ministry communications. In fact, your occasional updated numbers/stats have been super helpful in succinctly sharing God Wins! People are blown away by CBC’s growing support and how far-reaching this has become. I’m waiting with bated breath to see how God uses these efforts to grow His people and bring people to faith!

Bulk foods went out today: rice, beans, flour, sugar, salt, butter. People love it! I let my imagination see them cooking and baking a little bit. 😊

Thanks for all your love and support. This week in our preopening meeting, we’re talking about what a privileged position our crew is in. We get to be in the middle of this operation, receiving your donations and giving them out to families. We know we are representing you and are pouring the love and joy with which you give, directly to the families. I wish I could express to you all just how special it is and that we are honored to be here for you.

With much love to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH

Jubilee REACH Communications 4/29/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 4/29/20

Groceries for Families: Week 6 - Day 3

Today was a lovely day, with plenty of new faces in the line. As we open each day, I try to slowly walk the line to greet people, some by name. The goal is to welcome people and help them feel comfortable being here, as well as making the relationship we have with them more personal. I was able to pick out plenty of new faces who were here for the very first time. It was great to engage them and simply tell them we’re glad they are here. Lots of smiles.

Groceries today came from Highland Covenant, Bellevue Christian Reformed, St. Louise Parish, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches. A total of 142 orders were delivered and all but 7 went out to families today. We’ve invited some people from the waiting list to come to get the other seven tomorrow.

A duck family has made a nest up against the building. See to the left for picture. People walk by them all day without notice. When the mama or papa come out…watch it! They will defend the nest aggressively.

Today was the last day of the week for personal hygiene items to go out. Thank you to all who brought items all week long. Tomorrow will start the bulk food distribution, and we are ready. See below for a picture of our current holding area, ready to go.

We’re not getting enough emails back from families right now. We’ll change our approach and hope to have more for you soon.

Thanks for your support. I hope this email is helpful to you as you tell the story to many others.

Have a great evening,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH

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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