Wake Forest Community Meals May 2021 Newsletter

Wake Forest Community Meals

May Newsletter

Happy 1st Birthday to our WF Community Meals Program!

On April 20, 2020 we began serving meals at Hope House through the funding of the Summer Nutrition Program. Due to COVID we had to transform and reimagine the Summer Nutrition Program that we had done every summer for the past three years to serve meals at a new outdoor venue with all new safety precautions. With your financial support, love and prayers, we have continued to serve meals and expand to providing produce and groceries through the entire year!!! Our volunteers and partnering organizations who fund the meals each week are the heart and hands of our program-Thank you!!!

Our chef, Gwen Sneed will celebrate her graduation this month and we celebrate her accomplishment and the passion she brings to the meals she lovingly prepares each week.

We are looking forward to the bounty of Spring and Summer community gardens to share each week with our families. The bags of produce that we distribute are greatly appreciated. We plan to continue to serve hot meals, backpack buddies, produce, shelf stable groceries and take home casseroles on Mondays and Wednesdays through the Summer and hopefully beyond!

**We will not serve meals on Memorial Day (Monday 5/31)***

The donation link is at the bottom. I am happy to speak with your group, share images and stories of our program and the impact it has on our community.

Partner Spotlight: Wake Forest United Methodist Church

Wake Forest United Methodist Church has supported our program for almost five years. Pastor Donald Warren, a WF native, jumped right in the first year we served meals at OBBC through the Summer Nutrition Program and organized weekly volunteers and funds for any supplies we needed. Last month, under his leadership, WFUMC stepped up again and offered the church's commercial kitchen for Chef Gwen to work in each Monday afternoon. This space has been a blessing. George Shaw is a member of WFUMC and he continues to connect our program with gleaned produce and shelf stable food from grocery stores. George tirelessly supports us with his expertise in food insecurity in Wake County. Dave Eaton, another member of WFUMC is the mover and muscle behind tons of gleaned produce from local farms. Dave loves Hope House, TAM and WF Community Meals and he shows his love by offering his time, treasure and talent. WFUMC helped build this program with countless numbers of dedicated volunteers and financial support that has allowed us to purchase delicious and nutrition meals for our beloved community. Thank you, Wake Forest United Methodist Church- We love you!

Special Thanks This Month:

St. John's parishioners and the youth group provided homemade desserts each week .

Wake Forest Christian Church held a diaper drive for our program to provide an expensive necessity to families in need. The baby and adult diapers were greatly appreciated!!!

Wake Forest Baptist Church and Olive Branch Baptist Church have served 3,400 meals since September on Wednesday nights at Olive Branch Baptist Church.

Northeast Wake Backpack Buddies: Continue to deliver the much loved bags of shelf stable meals and snacks on Monday and Wednesday evenings twice a month.

An anonymous donor paid for 10 updated signs for our program so that we can spread the word!!

*All of our generous donors and partners who continue to support the program with time, treasure and talent!

Friendship Chapel Baptist Church and Wake Forest Christian Church for each sponsoring one week of meals again this month and sending wonderful volunteers to pack and serve on Monday nights.

Community member and chef Christy Van Ness prepared and delivered 10 casseroles of turkey tetrazzini.adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Wondering how you can help? Here are a few ways we may need your expertise in the coming months:

Grant Writing
Connecting our program with local community gardens/drivers
A caterer/restaurant/church who would be willing to prepare or purchase 70-90 pre-packaged meals on select Monday (if Gwen needs a night off) and on Wednesday evenings
Check our Sign Up Genius (link at the top) to volunteer to distribute food on Mondays and Wednesdays

If you have any other ideas or questions,

contact Joy at youth@stjohnswf.com

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How can you donate?

Click on "Give to Summer Nutrition Program" through St. John's Episcopal Church

Please let me know if you have any questions:

youth@stjohnswf.com

919-229-9015