October 2014
We are filled with grateful hearts and good tidings! The challenge battling hunger never ends but our 2014 Battle Against Hunger bike ride is safely behind us. Once again Stephanie Newton rode with us 50 miles or better each day and raised over $1,500 dollars! If you enjoy cycling or know someone that may be interested in joining us next year please get in touch. I don’t particularly enjoy cycling but I do love seeing a family pick up a full bag of groceries! The total funds Cast Your Cares raised are just over $13,000 and funds are still coming in! That will feed 35 of our 160 families for the whole year. Obviously, we have a way to go but it’s a great start. You can see the current totals by going to battleagainsthunger.org and then click on “Sponsor A Rider”.
We currently have 40 families each Tuesday and Wednesday that come every other week. We also have a waiting list that we try to fit into the schedule as resources allow. The food bags consist of; canned meat, fruit, corn, green vegetable, beans, soup, canned pasta, dry pasta, tomato sauce, macaroni and cheese, cereal and various miscellaneous items.
To fill the bags we give away, we purchase food from Philabundance, our local food bank. However, they have been lacking several of the items due to availability; especially the canned meat, tomato sauce and cereal. When we have to pick those items up at the local grocery store they cost considerably more. We love the fall food drives!! If your office, Boy Scout group, church or family is interested in collecting the items mentioned we would put them to immediate good use!
We are so pleased that our Saturday outreach meals have continued each and every week. With the incredible support of dozens of volunteers over 300 meals are prepared and served to our hungry neighbors! Our neighbors know that they will be blessed coming to receive a hot meal, a listening ear, and a prayer of hope on their way out. Thank you for your involvement so that this generous act of hospitality comes together each week. Many of you don’t physically come down to serve but prepare food, shop for paper goods, pick up donated baked goods, etc. We value your contribution and appreciate you!!
We are thankful for the progress the Saturday morning construction team is making. We love the camaraderie this group has working together to get the job done. Rory Huff adds his construction expertise to teach and facilitate the team. Project by project the walls are being rebuilt! Our building will one day, Lord willing, be a facility to host groups that would like to volunteer for a short term mission project, host the Saturday outreach indoors during the cooler winter months, and be Code Blue facility once the bunk rooms, and ground floor are completed. Code Blue refers to the temperature dropping to a life threatening low during winter months. We would be able to be a shelter during those extremes.
We are also rejoicing that through the rainy days of summer our new roof kept us completely dry. What a comforting peace to not panic at the weather forecast. We have many of you to thank for taking our needs to heart and enabling us to get that done! With the roof keeping us dry we have been busy repairing room by room the decades of water damage done to our 100 year old house.
We are encouraged by your outpouring to spur us on to care for our marginalized neighbors. Would you prayerfully consider ways to increase your involvement? Perhaps you can become a monthly financial and/or prayer partner? Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated!