Today we got up, had breakfast, got dressed and cleaned up and then went to work. Our tasks were to pack bags (tooth paste, tooth brushes, socks, snacks, and pudding packs) for our project on Sunday and to make lunch for the residents of Sarah’s Hope in Baltimore and pack bags for our project for Sunday. We made Beef Stroganoff, pistachio salad, bread, green bean casserole, and brownies. We fixed it at the church and then went to the shelter to serve it. We packed the bus with everything that we needed and set off for the shelter. With the help of the GPS, we drove right to the place. Elayne went in and found someone to help us find where we were to be. We sent our youth in all carrying what we had made. We set up and made final preparations.
We made enough for thirty to thirty-five and served about twenty people-women and children. They must have been hungry because all the stroganoff was gone, all the beans were gone, the brownies were gone, and the bread was gone. The salad was left because we forgot to take it out of the cooler….So we took it back in and they had it for a different meal.
Sarah’s Hope is a transitional housing program that has been in existence for about seven months. It was started by the City of Baltimore to combat the issue of homelessness. This program especially targets women, children, and grandparents who have taken custody of their grandchildren. There are dorms where the families stay, meals that are provided, and skill building for the parents. Including things like parenting classes, budgeting, and employment skills. There were also programs for the children. All of this is done on a shoestring budget in an old school that is badly in need of renovation and repairs. Afterwards, our contact and host, Connor, took us on a tour and talked about the desperate needs in Baltimore and what the city has been doing to try and be responsive to great needs. He told us that what we had done today was appreciated and invited us to come back. Usually when volunteers bring in meals, they bring cold sandwiches and fruit. Consequently having a home cooked, in our case church cooked meal was a treat. The agency is trying to develop a funding and volunteer base so all meals are provided in house.
Since space was limited, only half of the group was able to actually serve the meal. The rest of us waited in the bus and will distribute bags on Sunday. While we were waiting, some of the people that were served knocked on the door of the bus to say thank you. They were so appreciative of the meal. They commented on how surprised they were that youth, especially high school youth, would come all the way from Iowa to do something like make them a hot lunch just for them.
After we were done, we went back to the church. Afew, including two who shall remain nameless, went on a Wal-Mart Run. We decided we needed more tubs to put the bags that we had packed earlier. Their task was to get the tubs and afew things that we needed for supper and come back. They brought the tubs back and discovered there were afew extra things in the bag. It was easy to determine that we needed to take them back. We wondered if our shoplifters would be caught and prosecuted.
We spent the evening playing soccer and making shower runs to our new friends, the Folsems. Showers have been an issue. Since there are no shower facilities at the church we have had to ‘make it work’. We were able to go to the pool next door and to Mary and Mark Folsem’s home just down the street. We are so thankful for the Folsems who opened their home for us to use and fed us Maryland Fried Chicken and all the fixins’ on Tuesday Night.
We all celebrated Elayne's birthday with black baloons and birthday cake.
Tomorrow will be an early day.
We made enough for thirty to thirty-five and served about twenty people-women and children. They must have been hungry because all the stroganoff was gone, all the beans were gone, the brownies were gone, and the bread was gone. The salad was left because we forgot to take it out of the cooler….So we took it back in and they had it for a different meal.
Sarah’s Hope is a transitional housing program that has been in existence for about seven months. It was started by the City of Baltimore to combat the issue of homelessness. This program especially targets women, children, and grandparents who have taken custody of their grandchildren. There are dorms where the families stay, meals that are provided, and skill building for the parents. Including things like parenting classes, budgeting, and employment skills. There were also programs for the children. All of this is done on a shoestring budget in an old school that is badly in need of renovation and repairs. Afterwards, our contact and host, Connor, took us on a tour and talked about the desperate needs in Baltimore and what the city has been doing to try and be responsive to great needs. He told us that what we had done today was appreciated and invited us to come back. Usually when volunteers bring in meals, they bring cold sandwiches and fruit. Consequently having a home cooked, in our case church cooked meal was a treat. The agency is trying to develop a funding and volunteer base so all meals are provided in house.
Since space was limited, only half of the group was able to actually serve the meal. The rest of us waited in the bus and will distribute bags on Sunday. While we were waiting, some of the people that were served knocked on the door of the bus to say thank you. They were so appreciative of the meal. They commented on how surprised they were that youth, especially high school youth, would come all the way from Iowa to do something like make them a hot lunch just for them.
After we were done, we went back to the church. Afew, including two who shall remain nameless, went on a Wal-Mart Run. We decided we needed more tubs to put the bags that we had packed earlier. Their task was to get the tubs and afew things that we needed for supper and come back. They brought the tubs back and discovered there were afew extra things in the bag. It was easy to determine that we needed to take them back. We wondered if our shoplifters would be caught and prosecuted.
We spent the evening playing soccer and making shower runs to our new friends, the Folsems. Showers have been an issue. Since there are no shower facilities at the church we have had to ‘make it work’. We were able to go to the pool next door and to Mary and Mark Folsem’s home just down the street. We are so thankful for the Folsems who opened their home for us to use and fed us Maryland Fried Chicken and all the fixins’ on Tuesday Night.
We all celebrated Elayne's birthday with black baloons and birthday cake.
Tomorrow will be an early day.
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