Homeless Shelter Meals
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The information noted here describes how things were before Covid-19 and also includes the changes currently in place to still be able to help ECHO at this time.
A healthy meal is one of the most basic human needs, so this is a very rewarding outreach!
Each month, with the help of many hands, we give our community the best meal we can, taking in to account the clientele we serve from age ranges to specific needs. For most of the people we serve, this will be the only nutritious meal they will have that day. These people are men, women, kids, and older people from all walks of life. Not everyone that gets a meal is homeless, just hungry and needing a hot meal.
It is truly very rewarding to see such joy and gratitude in so many faces each month! Read the specifics below and come be a part of our ministry.
When - The third Saturday of each month.
The week before (2nd Saturday) our Coordinator of this ministry (Denise) sends out a group email asking for specific food/dishes to create a menu. If you can donate an item and/or serve, you email/call her back to let her know. If you can’t donate that month, no big deal. Just respond when you are able, no pressure! So we always will have many people to ask for help, please think about joining this group.
It you can bring food and serve, that’s great! But if you can only do one or the other, that is totally fine and still greatly appreciated.
Amount of Food Requested – The coordinator will ask for the food/dish amount to be as though you were feeding your family (i.e. 9x13 veggie dish, party lasagna, pot of spaghetti, etc.). This allows for the burden to be small for each donor and for a variety of foods to be served. We usually serve meals for 50 people, but since Covid-19, we have been serving 80.
Where - Donated food is dropped off at the ECHO shelter on our day (3rd Saturday of each month) at 4pm. We serve at 5pm. If you want to serve, please arrive at 4:45pm. If you plan to bring food and serve, bring the food and yourself at 4:45pm.
Dinner is served at 5pm and our work is usually done by 6pm, but usually a little earlier. We clean up as we go, so there is not a prolonged cleaning effort at the end.
Please Note: During the pandemic, we drop off items to the picnic bench outside the kitchen and ECHO staff put together To-Go Meals for the clients. We are not serving until further notice.
Does this sound like a CONNECTION you would like to add to your life? If so, please fill out the Sign-Up Form to sign-up and/or learn more about this CONNECTION.