COVID Food Relief Project Update: April 2021

Mar 30, 2021 | Beacon, COVID, Justice, News

Back in September, we realized East Shore needed to respond to the ongoing pandemic-exacerbated crisis happening in our community. In November, we raised $21,000 during the annual East Shore Auction’s Fund-A-Need, a radical approach to a project that has typically contributed funds to much needed campus improvement projects. Rev. Steve Furrer also deposited $3,000 from the Minister’s Discretionary Fund, knowing this money will serve families and individuals in need.

Since December, we’ve continued to work as a collective steering team, administering funds and volunteers to our partner organizations. We’ve worked with intention with each of our partners to craft the relationships and conversations needed to learn more about their work and to see how this project can support it directly. As you can see from the graphs, each organization has a different combination of needs from organizations like East Shore. The steering team is proud to report our financial and volunteer results to you. We set out the with the goals of providing monetary, in-person, remote, and multi-age opportunities for the congregation, and we’ve accomplished many of those goals, over and over. The group will continue to keep you up to speed with opportunities to be involved in this work. Thank you for your contributions, and we look forward to continuing this work and other future projects with you all!

Tune in to all our updates and volunteer opportunities here.

Backpack Meals for Kids

Learn more about volunteering Thursday, April 29.

Food Bank Farm

East Shore’s Covid 19 Food Relief team could use your help with coordinating Food Bank Farm events for East Shore. Working with Grace Colton you would share hosting events at the Farm and writing notices for church communications to sign up volunteers. Next up is planting seeds, transplanting seedling plants and, perhaps, one time projects like driving a tractor! Get closer to the earth and learn about growing food. Email Grace Colton.

Jubilee Reach

With the rising temperatures of spring, food boxes need to be insulated. Jubilee needs ice gel packs to help keep food cold. The larger sizes are preferred. If you have any just lying around, you can bring them directly to Jubilee Reach- 14200 SE 13th Pl, Bellevue, WA 98007. Do not bring them to East Shore.

Members Karen Ramsahai and high school sophomore, Libby, brought some much needed “pantry” items, including hundreds of size 6 diapers, to Jubilee Reach, one of East Shore’s community COVID Food Relief Partners. Jubilee Reach has been serving the community in their “Groceries for Families” programs for nearly one year now, a program launched to support Jubilee’s, and East Shore’s, local community during the pandemic. Jubilee Reach has also recognized the high need, and is helping to provide diapers to families. They distribute 10-12 boxes of size 6 diapers a day, three days a week! They have been operating in a deficit on this size for a while.

Without federal aid, diaper banks struggle to keep up with skyrocketing need and fewer donations. The National Diaper Bank highlights than a family’s need for diapers is often a window into poverty the pandemic is further stressing the deep inequity of our American economic system and its fragile social support structures. Before the pandemic, diapers were hard to afford, and diaper banks, such as Issaquah’s Eastside Baby Corner and Seattle’s Westside Baby Corner, helped meet family’s needs. Now, Jubilee Reach has been helping to fill in the gap as well.

Our November 2020 Fund-A-Need raised nearly $21,000, and that money is being used to get products to families in need directly. Thank you Karen and Libby for bringing diapers to babies!

by the COVID Food Relief Steering Team: Tina Hays, Karen Ramsahai, Carrie Bowman, Colleen Lamb, Libby Myers, Laurie Wick, Grace Colton, and amanda alice uluhan