Thanksgiving 2020

Given COVID-19 and the renovation project that currently makes space at Our Redeemer’s unavailable, we will not be hosting a Thanksgiving Community Meal this year. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t be doing anything for our un-housed neighbors! 

St. Luke’s Edible Hope Meals Program is planning a meal for Thanksgiving Day, and The Bridge Care Center is planning a Distribution Event on December 5th. 

We plan to support their efforts,
both financially and with volunteers. 

We are so grateful to our past volunteers; we hope you will consider volunteering this year, albeit under different circumstances (Things may change as plans evolve, but right now, what we know is on the following page): 

Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities!

St. Luke’s Edible Hope Meals Program

A Thanksgiving meal will be served on Thanksgiving Day from 10am to noon, possibly later depending on the number of guests. They are asking for volunteers from 9am to 1pm, with the following assignments available:

Hand washing station attendant.

Waiter, taking prepared plates to guests and taking and delivering drink orders.

Server, preparing plates.

Dishwasher.

Everyone helps with clean up.

Please let me (Margaret) know if you are interested in participating in this program, and I will forward you the contact information. 

The Bridge Care Center

On December 5th they will be distributing clothing, hygiene items, shoes, sleeping bags, backpacks, warm coats and more from the Quest Church parking lot.

They use a “personal shopper” method for distribution so one volunteer is shopping with each person, and that volunteer is the one touching and collecting items (with gloves on) to minimize the number of different people touching things. Everyone will be masked, and six-foot distances will be marked out.

They plan to set up a backpack line, giving each person the opportunity to take a backpack (or a bag if a backpack isn’t needed) and letting them choose items that are laid out on a table: holiday treats, candy, juice boxes, chips, etc. Volunteers are needed for monitoring this activity and restocking as needed.

Other opportunities include: staffing the hygiene station; passing out hot drinks; greeting people as they come through the line; set up and take down. To volunteer with The Bridge Care Center, to THIS LINK.

Our Redeemer’s

Our Redeemer’s plans to purchase sleeping bags and backpacks to support The Bridge Care Center’s giveaway on December 5th. Cash donations for these purchases are welcome. https://ourredeemers.net/donate (“Thanksgiving”). We are purchasing one hundred 30-degree sleeping bags for $24.99 each ($27.51 with tax – that’s $2,751 if you want to cover the lot!). We will provide hand knitted caps to be given out at the same time.

We will also be collecting items that are most needed for the December 5th event: Men’s and women’s thermal underwear (most-needed item); Gloves; Hand warmers; Hats; Candy; Juice boxes; and Chips.

Volunteer opportunities: Help with purchasing / collecting items listed above. (Purchase the items, then deliver them to the red storage box at Pastor Gretchen’s house: 13244 – 6th Ave NW, Seattle, 98177, or contact Hannah Wetter to arrange for a pick up: hannahwetter@ymail.com.) For purchasing backpacks: https://tinyurl.com/y5wyujtk (Note: If you decide to purchase anything online, you can choose to have it shipped directly to Pastor Gretchen’s house

Alternately, you can donate funds to Our Redeemer’s and we’ll go on a shopping trip for you!: https://ourredeemers.net/donate. (If you give via Simple Giving, please put your donation on the “Thanksgiving” line.) If you would prefer to mail a check, send it to Our Redeemer’s at the temporary office address: 5306 Ballard Ave NW, Ste 226, Seattle, WA 98107 with “Thanksgiving” in the memo line.

Or, you can bake cookies for the backpacks, wrapped or zip-locked into packets of six each, with a label to describe contents, e.g. “Chocolate Chip w/ Nuts”, or “Oatmeal, no Nuts”, or “Gluten Free Sugar Cookies”, etc. Let me know if you will bake!

If you have any questions about any of this, please let me know and I or one of our coordinators will get back to you with more details. Be safe! ~ Margaret Wetter margaretwetter@comcast.net