This was an unusual month at Food Kitchen. Because of the terribly cold temperatures, many folks could not make it to the FK for lunches, so numbers have been low compared to earlier months.
Just under 590 sack lunches were handed out. Jacqueline, manager for the day, thanked us profusely for the lunches, the warm socks, the extra sandwiches, and other food we took them. She said that the additional baked goods and buns were bagged and laid out so patrons could choose what they wanted. With hot chocolate available, a choice of items, and a lunch with ham salad sandwiches which are juicy, soft, and very popular, Jacqueline said that it was truly a “joyful day.” “On a bitterly cold day, the patrons experienced the warmth of love.”
This was a special month for many reasons. Tonya Gast sponsored girls and parents from the American Heritage Girls troop who brought and helped bag cookies for the FK and for Uplift. Along with our generous parishioner donations, we collected almost 6,000 cookies! It was quite a task to bag all of these, made easy by those who came to help and did not leave until we were done.
The cookies went to the Food Kitchen (~900 bags); others were delivered by the Gast family to Uplift (200 bags), as well as to approximately six other non-profit organizations—along with a plate of cookies for Father Kent and Father Ashmore.
In addition to cookies, our GS Food Kitchen had other food that was not needed this month at FK. So, we delivered sandwiches, fruit, and cookies to Bartle Hall as well as, to people in tents in the downtown area. Fruit, bread, and cookies were taken to Shawnee Community Center.
To every person who donated their time to make lunches, or deliver food; to every person who baked cookies or donated socks; to the AHG families who bagged all of our cookies; to those who hold us close in prayer, know that the width and breath of the lives you have touched is great!!