GROCERIES FOR FAMILIES

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

Jubilee REACH Communications 8/4/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 8/4/20

Groceries for Families: Week 20 - Day 2

Today felt like a great day - lots of activity and everything humming along. The crew worked hard on both shifts and seemed to enjoy it at every turn. Such great people! The morning was very steady with incoming groceries, and the afternoon was a constant flow of families coming in. The weather was just great, cool in the morning, and warm in the afternoon.

Groceries today came from Cornerstone, Bellevue Presbyterian, Creekside Covenant, Westminster Chapel, and Crossroads Bible churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 128 orders came in and all went out to families today, including 3 by delivery. We actually ran out of normal grocery orders about 2:40pm, so used 17 of the food boxes, which make for excellent substitutes. Thank you to everyone who donated today!

The delivery truck from Pacific Coast arrived early today with five pallets of food boxes.

Three went directly into vehicles to El Dios Viviente Church in Seattle.

The remaining two had all perishables taken out by volunteers into refrigeration.

It’s great to have this extra cushion to use as needed.

No formal market was set up today because the food boxes filled the space, but the tables in the exit line were very full of great stuff.

Volunteers brought a delivery from the QFC Crossroads.

Holy Cross Lutheran and the Master Gardeners brought a nice supply of fresh produce. Beyond the normal potatoes, onions and apples, there were pastry items, asparagus, corn, green & purple beans, cucumbers, baguettes, brussel sprouts, various fresh produce, and more. Wow! Thank you to everyone who gave to this.

Lunch was delivered to 25 seniors in the community by Barb and her crew today. She made a tasty seafood chowder with salmon and clams. Thank you ladies!

A few emails from families today:

Muchas gracias por ser el soporte de nuestra familia, ya que por la pandemia el lugar donde estaba trabajado habia sido cerrado despues de un tiempo esta abierto , pero mi empleador ha dicho que por el momento no se necesita muchos empleados asi que estoy en busca de un empleo, les estamos muy agradecidos por el trabajo que estan haciendo. Dios los bendiga grandemente.

Many thanks for being this support to our family. Due to the pandemic, the place I was working had been closed, was opened for some time, but my employer has told us that for the moment they do not need many employees so I am looking for employment. We are very thankful for the job you are doing. God bless you immensely.

Buenos dias, Quiero agradecerles con el Corazon toda su generosidad durante estos tiempos dificiles , donde Uds. Generosamente me han dado una ayuda muy importante y solo puedo pedir para Uds.bendiciones infinitas ,salud a raudales y que se multipliquen en ejemplo esta solidaridad que como a mi es una muestra de amor de este que tanto necesita el mundo en este momento. Agradecida por su apoyo y Dios bendiga su mission. Gracias, Esperanza

Good morning, I want to thank you with my heart for all your generosity during these difficult times in which you all generously have given me very important help and I can only ask for you all for infinite blessings, a flowing of health and may it be multiplied. This example of solidarity, for me, has been an example of love that this world needs at this moment. I am thankful for your support and God bless your mission. Thank you, Esperanza

Many of you have been asking about the families on the waiting list. As you’ve read, we’ve been inviting them to come twice a week for hospitality boxes. For some reason, this just hasn’t produced action, as very few are coming. With 60 families on the list, we made the decision late yesterday to onboard them into the program, trusting that there will be sufficient food available. Today, a staff member called each of them, and verbally invited everyone she spoke with to join the program fully. She reached about 30 people and about 26 came today already. It was so great to see new faces and walk them through how the operation works. She will try the other half again tomorrow. Please pray for these new families and that the food will remain available for all who are coming. This feels like the right decision and the right timing.

Thanks for another lovely day in this ‘Groceries for Families’ program. May you feel personally connected to it and be changed by it. Thank you for all the time, energy, treasure, and prayer you are providing. You are important!

Enjoy the warmth of the evening, wherever this finds you.

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 8/3/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 8/3/20

Groceries for Families: Week 20 - Day 1

Week 20 and the month of August opened on a very smooth note today, with lots of AM & PM activity. The morning had 8 different groups coming by Jubilee, dropping off groceries and pantry items. Extra food from two grocery stores also came today. The afternoon had a steady pace of families, which was great to see since that this same group had poor attendance last Thursday. The weather was perfectly cool until the sun came out about 12:00pm and warmed up the afternoon. All is well here!

Week 20 and the month of August opened on a very smooth note today, with lots of AM & PM activity. The morning had 8 different groups coming by Jubilee, dropping off groceries and pantry items. Extra food from two grocery stores also came today. The afternoon had a steady pace of families, which was great to see since this same group had poor attendance last Thursday. The weather was perfectly cool until the sun came out about 12:00pm and warmed up the afternoon. All is well here!

Groceries today came from Sacred Heart, Lighthouse, Bellevue Presbyterian, Rain City, 24-Seven, Bellevue Christian Reformed and Common Good churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 120 orders came in and all went out to families today, including 27 by delivery. Thank you to all who participated today!

The market and exit tables were nicely full today with many donations from individuals,

Holy Cross Lutheran gardeners, King County Master Gardeners, the QFC Crossroads, and Safeway Thrasher’s corner.

Here’s a quick list: fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh herbs, bakery, desserts, yogurt, salads, canned goods, and more.

Thank you to everyone who made this possible!

Personal hygiene items were offered today, which happens each first half of the week.

Families could choose three items from a list of bar soap, toothpaste, paper towels, deodorant, shaving razor/cream, shampoo, and dish soap.

Today, families could also choose all-purpose cleaning spray or 1 extra roll of TP.

Thank you to everyone who helped fill the pantry so nicely.

The food truck will be this Friday from 4-7pm. It is a new one “Ay Guey!”, Mexican food. Plan to come!

A personal thought from Ken:

For sure, there are many families in this program who truly needed help before the coronavirus crisis pushed them further over the edge. These families certainly receive help through the school district, city, and some organizations. However, they often remain in the shadows, as the rest of society goes about life. They are unseen by most, yet they live right here in the community. I’ve come to feel this crisis is actually somewhat of a benefit for these families. Because literally everyone is in the same crisis, these families suddenly have the attention of many, many people. This includes Jubilee REACH, churches, organizations, the government, and other community residents. Now they are seen. Now they are receiving help to really sustain them. Now they are cared for by multiple angles. These are lovely people, with real stories and real lives. The hope is through these new and deepened relationships, these families can not just continue to get the daily support they need, but also helped to reach a place where they can be self-supporting in all ways. Teach a person to fish, not just give them a fish – as it is said. Plus, they can feel loved, through it all. I feel in my heart this can be done and is already in motion to change the culture around us. It feels so good to see this happening. I just wanted to share this with you, as it has been on my mind. Getting off the soapbox now. Thanks

Thank you to everyone who responded to the call for baby wipes as our biggest need. The stack of wipes is steadily growing from being nearly depleted. Along with the wipes, the top need items now are size 5 diapers and toilet paper. Thank you!

We begin this week with 430 families in the ‘Groceries for Families’ program and another 60 on the waiting list. With King Country stuck in phase 2, many of these families also remain stuck. We are committed to staying alongside of them and are so grateful for all the continued support provided to them by all of you. Wonderful. Thank you!

Have a great evening,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 8/1/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 8/1/20

Groceries for Families: Week 19 - Day 6

Welcome to August! The temperature today was the coolest of the week this morning, so it sure didn’t feel like summer. But it was great working weather for this operation. The sun is coming out now, as this email goes out. Today went very well, with a flurry of activity this morning between 8:30-10:00am. The pace of families was steady all morning, which was great to see. It was a nice way to end the week.

Groceries today came from Victory Court, Evangelical Chinese and Bellevue Presbyterian churches. A total of 120 orders came in and all went out to families today, as did many of the carryover orders from previous days. Thank you to everyone who donated today!

From the Farmer Frog pick up yesterday, the market was well stocked today: apples, onions, potatoes, watermelon, and bananas.

Lots of extras came in with groceries today, there was plenty of canned good, noodles, soup, and more.

We also put out all the remaining dairy products which had come in with food boxes this week: milk, half & half, yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese.

El Dios Viviente Methodist Church from Seattle was welcomed at noon today to pick up all the remaining fresh items which need to get to families. Pastor Guzman is supporting his own congregation and the surrounding community, so it is a wonderful way to help even more people in need. Their truck took many banana boxes, the last bin of watermelon, produce boxes, dairy, and the last remaining grocery orders. So great!

Today was the last day for bulk foods to be offered to families. They were able to choose 3 from a list of rice, pinto beans, sugar, salt, and flour. The crew has now flipped the entire lobby to be ready for hygiene to be offered on Monday. Thank you to everyone who helps fill the pantry each week.

One update from Ken:

The wife whose husband receiving treatment for brain tumor was here this morning and seemed a little shaken. When I asked her if everything was ok, she apologized for always having bad news. Her husband took a fall yesterday in Fred Meyer. He didn’t injure himself badly but is sore today. She was able to lift him, as he’s lost weight over the past two months of radiation and chemo. But it scared them both, and they will now be more careful with him when walking. Please continue to pray for them.

Here’s a quick count of the bulk food going out this week:

Flour: 71 bags or 146 lbs
Rice: 145 bags or 363 lbs
Beans: 159 bags or 191 lbs
Sugar: 217 bags or 163 lbs
Salt: 149 bags or 75 lbs

As with each Saturday, here’s a look at statistics to date after 19 weeks:

Program Days: 114
Families currently in the program: 470+
People in these families: 2115 (approximate)
Families on the waiting list: 56
Grocery orders provided to-date: 18,576
Churches & Organizations engaged: 28
Different shoppers participating: 950 (approximate)

We end this week with about 470 families in the program, each invited twice per week. The waiting list is at 56 families. There are about 20 families who are exiting the program this week, so Monday will begin with about 450 families in the program, plus the waiting list.

Today marks the last day of week 19 of this ‘Groceries for Families’ program. It continues to cruise right along with so many good things happening. Thank you all for the continued participation, prayers, support, and love for the people of our community. It’s just so great to be in this with you all.

Thanks for a great week. Tomorrow is a day of rest. Be back Monday.

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 7/31/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 7/31/20

Groceries for Families: Week 19 - Day 5

Well, today made up for some of yesterday, thankfully. The pace of families was normal and grocery output was great. Whew! The whole day was full of busy, busy, busy activities. The morning had a steady inflow of groceries. There was a big delivery just before 1pm, which is detailed below. The weather was warm but very tolerable. The crew worked very hard today – thank you! Such a gratifying day.

Groceries today came from Crossroads Bible, Evangelical Chinese, Covenant Presbyterian, Westminster Chapel, and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 118 orders came in and all went out to families today, plus another 10 orders carried over from yesterday. Thank you everyone who participated today. We’ve made adjustments to tomorrow’s count, so should be back on pace for using all the groceries from yesterday.

One of the largest suppliers of extra food is Farmer Frog in Woodinville. They are a distribution point for farmers and other suppliers.

Today our crew took the Jubilee REACH Thrift Store truck to the farm and brought back a full load. In it was a pallet of dairy boxes, two pallets of produce (apples, onions, potatoes), one pallet of green bananas, and 4 pallets of watermelons. Woo Hoo! Bonanza!

The toughest point was the truck arrival time of 12:30pm, just before we opened for families. First came down the watermelons, which was quite a delicate delivery. See the attached pictures of the crew lifting the double-stacked pallets.

The dairy, bananas, and produce had to wait until the first wave of families went through. It was quite chaotic to have all this happening while we were trying to open the operation. It happened…but crazy times.

Thank you to the crew for all the extra effort. Families loved the watermelons and extra dairy, which were made available today.

The market was open today, also, with lots of great foods. Many shoppers brought extra bags today, which all went right to the market. Volunteers brought a load from the QFC Crossroads. Lake Sammamish Foursquare food bank brought baguettes from French Pastry and bananas. Thank you to everyone!

A personal story from Ken today:

You’ve heard from me the story of the Jewish family who we supply green vegetables to each week, in lieu of a normal grocery order. We’ve become quite close to their family. Many of you regularly provide fresh produce specifically for this family, which we save for Monday & Thursday pick up. It has become a wonderful relationship.

Today, the whole family came to see me at Jubilee REACH around 2:30pm. It is not their normal day, so it was surprising to see them. The father asked if we could help them with a medical bill. His wife had to go to an emergency on May 1st and be admitted to Overlake for two nights for a large cyst or something which grew suddenly on her face cheek. It had to be drained of a lot of puss and liquid during operation. She is fully recovered now.

The hospital charged just over $40,000. Of it, insurance paid about $8,500, and the hospital wrote off about $30,400. This left their family with a balance of $1,408, which they cannot pay. He has already paid three smaller bills from the visit, but this amount is far excessive for them.

This gave me a chance to ask for more details about their family. He told me that he is originally from Uzbekistan and left in 1990 while it was still part of the USSR. He went to Israel for 15 years, where he met his wife while she was there on vacation with her family. She had previously settled in Kirkland from Israel and was already a US citizen. They became engaged and he came to the US on a Fiancée visa in 2005. Their daughter was born in Bellevue and will start at Highland Middle School this fall. He could only find work as a taxi driver in Israel but had ambitions to become a computer technician. He achieved this goal in the US and was in this work until March. He has been unemployed since.

Please pray for this sweet family.

Another great day in the books. Tomorrow will mark the last day of the week. Cruising along. Thank you for being a part of this journey today.

Blessings to you all,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 7/30/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 7/30/20

Groceries for Families: Week 19 - Day 4

Today was the very first day we’ve had where a large number of families who didn’t come. We ended the day with 40 leftover grocery orders, which has never happened. The entire afternoon with families was slow, slow, and slow. We debriefed afterward to try to figure out why. Not sure, really. We’re making adjustments to the next two days, so by the end of Saturday, all the groceries will go out to families. Still, it was very odd. Beyond that, the day was great. Lots of activity in the morning. The weather was hot, and the building remains hot as this is typed.

Groceries today came from Sacred Heart, Kalos, Overlake Park Presbyterian, Redeemer, First United Methodist, Doxa and Bellevue Presbyterian churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 155 orders came in and all but the 40 mentioned went out to families today, including 22 by delivery. Thank you to everyone who gave. The remaining orders have all the cold items in refrigeration and will go out first tomorrow.

The market was nicely stocked with a variety of items today. A nice delivery from the Crossroads QFC was brought by volunteers today. Deliveries from the Director of ‘Neighbors Feeding Neighbors’ were also happily received. Thank you to everyone who gave extras!

Bulk food ingredients were offered to families today: rice, pinto beans, salt, sugar and flour. Thank you to everyone who helped fill the pantry. Diapers and wipes were also offered today for the first time this week. Thank you to everyone who keeps these important items stocked.

The food truck is in full swing tonight!

A few emails from families:

Gracias gracias 🙏 por toda la ayuda atododas los que hacen esto posible y por la ayuda que me dieron

Thank you, thank you 🙏 to all who made this help possible and for the help you gave me

De antemano muchísimas gracias por ese gran apoyo a mi familia, gracias a todos los donantes y personas de apoyo por ese gran corazón, Dios les bendiga inmensamente. Deseándoles siempre lo mejor.

Thank you very much for this great support to my family, thank you to all the donors, and people of support for being of great hearing. God bless you immensely. Wishing you the best always.

Muchas gracias.por su gran ayuda que nos proporcionaron en este tiempo de pandemia. Si Dios mediante. Vamos a superar esta pandemia. Y muchas bendiciones.al Equipo.de Jubilee.

Many thanks for the great help you gave us during this pandemic. By God, we will overcome this pandemic. And many blessings to the Jubilee team.

Thank you for another great day in this ‘Groceries for Families’ program, Day 112.

Enjoy the warm evening,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, Jubilee REACH
On behalf of the Jubilee family

Jubilee REACH Communications 7/29/20 Jubilee REACH Communications 7/29/20

Groceries for Families: Week 19 - Day 3

Halfway through the week and things are moving along smoothly. Today was full of activity, which is always a great sign. The morning had groceries & hygiene items coming in steadily, as well as a nice diaper delivery. The afternoon was very busy with lots of food going out steadily. The weather was very pleasant, with only the direct sun in the afternoon feeling hot. The shade was very nice, and the building didn’t boil over inside. Thanks for a great day!

Groceries today came from Bellevue Presbyterian, Highland Covenant, St. Louise and Bellevue Christian Reformed churches, as well as the Jubilee Friends group. A total of 136 orders came in and all went out to families today. The remaining food boxes from yesterday were picked up by Pastor Guzman at 3pm today. Thank you to everyone who participated today!

Nice delivery of diapers arrived early this morning from the Baby Basics Ministry at Bellevue Presbyterian. Thank you for the boost in the supply!

A Jubilee crew member did the weekly chicken purchase at Costco this morning.

Thank you to everyone who donated money to make this happen!

From 10am-2pm, Barb and Kate portioned it all out into ziplock bags. It is now freezing in two separate freezers, getting ready to go out to families over the next three days. Thank you, Barb and Kate, for this weekly effort.

The Tuesday Sr. Lunch went out yesterday to 25 seniors in the community. Barb and her crew put a lot of love and care into this weekly outreach. Thank you for caring for these dear people in this way!

The Food Truck will return tomorrow night, Cubano-Mexi. Please come if you can!

A personal story from Ken:

You’ve all been following along the story of the wife whose husband is receiving treatment for a recurring brain tumor. Many of you have supported her directly by giving and prayers. She showed up at noon today, one hour early, asking to talk with me in private. You may remember she recently received two parking tickets in the mail for failing to stop at the right-on-red near Whole Foods on NE 8th. Donations covered those $124 fines. Well, a third ticket arrived on July 8. She no longer uses that intersection so she was very unhappy to have this happen again. I could instantly see and feel the stress she is under because of it. She shared how she and her husband drove to find the courthouse to pay the fine this morning but simply could not find the building. They had the address but just went around and around. She burst into tears as she shared how her husband’s brain injury would not allow him to understand the GPS. Her heart is broken over what has happened to him through all the treatment. She leaned against the wall to support herself as she cried. My heart ached for her and their family. Wow. We eventually figured out that the fine can be paid online. We went to my office and got it paid with her debit card, on which she had deposited gifts from some of you. Such a relief to her. For sure, despite being here since 2007, she feels very lost and confused in this culture. My words hopefully gave her encouragement and strength, assuring her that she is doing great. She showed me pictures of her husband and the original scans from 2017 when the brain tumor first appears and was removed surgically. Oh my. She left in good spirits. She said her daughter had a wonderful 16th birthday last Saturday. Please pray for their family.

The 45 families on the waiting list were invited back today at 3pm to receive a full ‘hospitality box’ of great food. Unfortunately, only 10 families came. We are working on ideas of how to get more of them to come. We have the food, so just need a way to get it to them.

This day is ending with bright sunshine and warm air. Hopefully, you are enjoying the evening wherever you are tonight. Thanks for a great day.

Peace,

Ken Carpenter
Service Coordinator, 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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