Spring 2021 Update
Dear Friends,
As we came into Holy Week 2021, we were not able to do some of the traditions we would normally do in our parishes but our priests and Bishop Talley gave us the hope and encouragement that God loves us and wants us to love our neighbors.
There was one Holy Thursday that I remember at the food mission when we were serving inside and guests collected in the chapel before going into the dining room. I believe it was Sister Regina and Sister Jeanine along with Becky who organized a washing of the feet with our guests who bravely stepped up to volunteer. We played meditative music as we carefully removed the shoes and socks to wash and dry those tired and unkept feet with tears in our eyes and overwhelming sense of gratefulness in our hearts.
Those whose feet were being washed, those neighbors sitting in the pews observing and the daily volunteers all prayerfully watching were all brought closer together in that moment knowing that God's love was all around us and his arms were embracing us. This is a moment and a vision I will never forget.
Hope you all had a wonderfully blessed Holy Week and Easter. Let's continue to give our best to God by showing love and mercy, working for justice, having compassion and for peace and non-violence in our daily lives..
Easter Sunday was very quiet and extremely slow. Thanks be to God that people had some money in their pockets or a place to go. Those who did come were very appreciative and it was a beautiful God given day for all.
How blessed are we?
We have some wonderful regular volunteers, lots from Volunteer Odyssey who are now permanent volunteers and new young people continue to engage with our St. Vincent de Paul Food Mission.
A sweet lady named Rondi comes by once a week and drops off frozen hamburger patties and frozen pizzas. Eliot uses these as a back up when the crowds are larger than normal. She also regularly invites Eliot over for dinner with her family. Eliot says they are all just great people.
A fellow named Robert and his sweet family bring milk, butter and miscellaneous items just about every week.
Kirk from King Cotton has a large donation of hot dogs, sausages and lunch meats whenever we need them. And we thank Suzanne and Larry Busby for making those pickups. Cooking dogs and sausages on the grill are our guests favorite.
Mike Palazola drops by about once a week with a donation of fruits and vegetables.
Saturday or Sunday brings a member from Mrs. Raj's family loaded down with chips, fruit and grain bars and big cans of green beans.
Every weekend we get a Costo or Trader Joe's delivery from the Methodist Men's Group. Always a surprise and always welcomed. It can be fruit, produce, meat, desserts (yes 15 cakes at a time) that our guests just love.
We also receive dozens and dozens of farm fresh eggs weekly delivered by Tom Wilkinson and donated from the farm of Ms. Shirley Rhodes-McDonald. These are the best eggs you ever put in your mouth.
Eliot, you’re our gift from God!
Keep this fellow in mind as you look at all the images of teams and food. Eliot Wren is our kitchen manager and is here daily with a planned meal, always ready to greet and instruct the volunteers on what to do and then make sure everything is put away at the end of the day. We know our volunteers return because of the love and friendship he shows them. Many thanks to Dick Hackett for bringing you on board.
And now on to some images we want to share with you. Hang in there they are pretty cute and give you a good idea of what we serve and who is volunteering.
I don't get many pictures of our guests because I don't want to impose on their privacy. We always ask before we post.
Eliot was out for a few days in March after working so hard practically by himself during the ice and snow in February. So our teams jumped in to take up the slack. This nice plate of food was cooked and served by our regular Monday team leads Larry and Suzanne Busby. They do so much for the food mission and serve on the Kitchen Cabinet with others from the executive team.
Cooking up the farm fresh eggs that are donated is Katie Schmitz from IC and St. Patrick’s. She is our 2nd Sunday Team lead who also stepped up on one of those days. Making yummy bacon, eggs and biscuits and GRAVY. Katie also serves as our St. Vincent de Paul Treasurer for the District Council. Her husband Rodney picks up all the supplies and bread for the food mission!
Also working with Katie that day was Aaron, who is a regular Sunday volunteer and works as a mechanic with Mercedes. With them is Kirk on the right, from very generous King Cotton.
Photos from Palm Sunday:
Eliot surprised guests with snow cones on Palm Sunday! Guests came sporting Tigers blue, with jokes to share. One guest said “Please take my picture; I am so blessed to be here today!”
The only two volunteers besides Aaron on Easter were these two ladies from the 1st Sunday team. I am so sorry that I did not get their names.
Aaron never misses a Sunday and not even Easter. Our neighbors are good friends with Aaron now. He jokes and kids with them constantly.
Eliot made and handed out snow cones to our Easter Sunday guests. He enjoys having special surprises for our friends; freshly popped popcorn is always a big hit.
Some other updates from around the Food Mission:
This is the East side of the building where the retaining wall has come down. We are working on some different ideas and getting some bids. Thank you to Stu and Julie for weed eating this area.
Also on the east side is this triangular bed that desperately needs some work. Thanks to Julie and Stu for keeping it tidy.
This smiling fellow that works for Brian Lee Landscaping Company schooled me on our poor shrubs. We lost 6 to 8 plants due to the snow and ice in February. They were all the Indian Hawthornes. You will notice them all around town that did not survive. Brian's team came out to help us get the property shaped up and ready for summer.
We lost all the Indian Hawthorne that was by the front entrance. So sad to see it dug up.
In May there will be an update on the raised beds in the green space on the East side of the building. You are going to be surprised.
First Sunday team lead for as long as I can remember is Sara Ordonez, shown here working alongside Kirk from King Cotton.
Sara's husband Alejandro helps that day with the many dishes from all the cooking. This is definitely appreciated by Eliot.
Second Saturday long time team lead is Sharon Fleischut, on the left. Sharon usually has a lot of CBHS boys there on her Saturday. And just up until recently, Sharon had been ordering our food from the food bank for years. Eliot is helping with that now.
Saturday, April 10:
Eunice, Alyssa, Raymond, Armanda, Jennifer, Navila, Nathan, Shane, Ian and Eliot.
UTHSC VOLUNTEERS making snow cones. Sushma and Victoria.
Tony Lanigan serves at the door almost also every day.
Teamwork on dishwashing. Sorry I don't know CBHS fellow on left, but on right is Jennifer Timbs who volunteers most every Saturday.
March 27 2021: Bottom, left to right: Sushma Kalava, Victoria Hamby, Maria Farag and Navila. Back row, left to right is Eliot, Bill and Ian.
Julie sharing phone number to sign up for vaccines with our neighbors.
Members from St. Vincent de Paul St. Francis Conference returned to give out the rest of the gift cards from Christmas giveaway along with hygiene products and socks.
Thank you and God Bless you for taking the time to look at all these pictures.
You keep praying for our food mission and we will keep you in our prayers.