Every week, Nick and our team prepare sandwiches and sack lunches—complete with a drink, fruit, and a snack—using sustainable packaging. Then the team heads out into the city to hand-deliver them to our neighbors experiencing houselessness. Alongside meals, we collect and distribute warm clothing, tents, tarps, pet food, and any other donations we can gather to help meet immediate needs. It’s not uncommon for someone to tell us that the lunch we hand them is the first meal they’ve had that day. In fact, once we started tracking how many people had eaten vs how many had not. We found that there have never been more than 7 people that have eaten. On average, that means 93 out of the 100 people we serve have not eaten that day... These small moments of connection remind us why this work matters. As much as feeding those in need is extremely important, we feel that it is also important that the people we are serving feel seen, valued and loved. We find it extremely important to not pass out a lunch, but check in with a hello, a smile and ask genuine questions. How has the day started? Have you had anything to eat yet today? What can we do to be of better service to you and others?
Adding something about the corporate engagement you’re doing with Amy. “Bridging the gap between corporation and community through direct engagement” or something along those lines. If we entice more businesses to follow suit, the ripple effect would be so big!!!