Whew!
We had a wild several months at St. Peter’s Kitchen, as November and December often are for us. We especially want to thank our volunteers who continue to give of their time, even when most people are on vacation. We are humbled by and grateful for your perseverance in service.
January was more low-key, but we rarely have a dull moment what with software changes, staffing switches, and the busy lives of our volunteers. We wouldn't want it any other way.
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Every year, we put on special Thanksgiving and Christmas meals at the kitchen. We decorate our dining hall, prepare holiday gifts, and serve a fancy meal restaurant-style. This year, thanks to Wegman’s generosity, we had a whole flock of turkeys prepared for thanksgiving, along with some fabulous squash and dressing. Bob Rozler, one of our usual Wednesday cooks, manned the kitchen for both meals with support from Gabe, and we recieved many compliments. We even had a cameraman from Spectrum News come down on Thanksgiving and interview Patty! On Christmas Day, several people from St. Kateri Tekakwitha parish came and sang Christmas carols during the meal, which was lovely.
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Every year, we put on a program for our community called the Christmas Toy Store. In collaboration with Allyssa’s Angels and Dreams For Drake, we are able to buy presents for our community members who cannot afford presents for their children for Christmas. After our volunteers shop for toys and sort them into age-appropriate groups, our community can “shop” at our store for what they want to give their kids. This year, we were able to provide gifts for 167 children in the area we serve. This is a small way that we can provide normality and Christmas joy to the kids in our neighborhood, and also allow parents to express their affection with gifts. The Christmas Toy Store, although not hunger-related, fits perfectly within our broader mission of empowerment and hope. A big thanks to Nancy Goodman, who did a majority of the organizing and mobilizing work to make this program happen, as she has for the last several years.
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Are you recently retired? A freshly-minted empty-nester with more space on your schedule? Or do you have a non-traditional work schedule with too much free time during the day? Fear not! We have volunteer opportunities every weekday from 9:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M! Help us serve our community by doing food prep, set-up, and serving on the buffet line. No experience is necessary.
We have another volunteer possibility in the works, if prepared food service is not your cup of tea. We do not know the hours yet and can’t give any more details, but if you want to serve the 19th ward community in a new way, we would love to have you onboard. Look out for more information about this opportunity in the next few weeks!
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Attention:
If you recently attempted to make an online donation, you may have noticed that our "Give" page has been out of commission while we switched our donor management software. As of this week, it is back up and running! Check it out--it looks almost exactly like the old one.
(Sidenote: It's easy to make recurring donations online, so you don't have to remember to put a check in the mail. This helps us predict our income, and is one less thing for you to keep track of.)
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