Dear Friends,
Phillipians 1:3 says “I thank my God every time I remember you,” which is how I feel about all the Heart to Heart volunteers. I know that this time has been very difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic, all the recent changes at Heart to Heart and the year of 2020 in general. I want you to know how grateful I am that each of you have chosen to serve with us in the midst of all the chaos.
From chaos comes creation, and I know that together we will continue to feed our hungry siblings and stay safe at the same time. With that in mind, I’d like to offer some thoughts to make you feel more connected to what’s happening.
Weekly, you will receive an email (just like this) from Heart to Heart. It will include a preview and link to Heart to Heart Happenings, our blog. The blog is full of the most current information and is always available at h2h.FCchurch.com/blog. This will be our primary means of communication, so please take time to read it in its entirety each week.
I have heard from a number of volunteers that they are not receiving this email or getting the information we send. Please do me a favor and check your junk/spam folder to make sure the emails aren't being routed there. These emails are sent using the church's Constant Contact account, so if you have unsubscribed from any emails from FCchurch.com, you will need to resubscribe. If you’re unsure that your email address is on our distribution list, please contact Amy, as she can see who has received and opened these emails. You can also use this link to manage your email subscriptions from Heart to Heart.
Speaking of Amy, please know that she and I work as a team. We meet weekly and stay in constant communication regarding the needs of the mission program, including Heart to Heart. Anything that one of us shares or asks has already been discussed with the other. When in doubt, it is safe to assume we are in contact with one another.
Hopefully, everyone knows we began new hours on November 1. As we live into those new hours, we will continue to evaluate volunteer shifts that best fit into the new schedule. We will stick with the current schedule until Thanksgiving and reassess at that time.
Per request, we are now going to use the white board in the hallway of the annex to display a calendar so people can see what’s happening at the pantry during the week. Along with that calendar, we will provide a space for volunteers to write notes. It is difficult for me to keep track of things that people tell me in passing. As a minister, I’m used to greeting people in line after delivering a sermon. Often, people will tell me important information while shaking my hand and excpect me to remember. As I tell each one of them, please know if you want me to remember it, I need you to write it down. So whatever you think we need to know, you can write on the white board.
I want to relieve you from the burden of worrying about how we will staff the pantry on any given day. Please be assured we are working hard to monitor the sign-up and find volunteers. We will not leave any shift short-staffed.
I know many of you won’t believe this, but part of my brain is very organized! If you know Amy, I'm sure you know that she is very particular. We are both working overtime to assuage our own anxieties by cleaning and organizing our lives in the annex building and Lincoln Road Chapel.
Please understand we are working diligently to streamline and standardize procedures at Heart to Heart so things are easier and safe for everyone. As the country patiently awaits the results of the presidental election, we ask for your continued patience as we move forward. We are being meticulous and it will be worth the wait!
I do thank God every day for your willingness to continue to care for people amid a pandemic that keeps most people home. I know that God is present every day I’m here. I know that because I see God in all of your faces. I look forward to serving with you.
