This past week we saw our list of families we help hit 291 with an additional 14 bags of food going to families with immediate needs. In total some 1172 people will eat from the food that was given out on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.

Even though our doors do not open until 10 A.M. on both days it is not uncommon to be greeted by six to eight people waiting in line to receive their food. We try to treat each person with dignity and respect, with a smile and a one on one relationship, from the greater at the door (thank you Wal-Mart for the idea) to the one who punches their card and checks their name off the list and finally the one who gives them their bag of food.

We have a waiting list of 26 families and a list of 48 in the screening process. We have established a criteria base on the household make up and the debt to income ratio. The hardest part of this work is to have to tell someone “I’m sorry you don’t qualify”.

We make 43 home deliveries to those that are not able to make it to the storefront each week. The deliveries take about three hours to make, some times a bit longer due to the invitations to come in and have something to drink. You know automatically that when you get to Rachel’s house you turn off the car, lock the doors and be prepared to a cold drink and a plate or three of cookies.

We thank HaShem for the food He provides, for the opportunity to be His hands and feet.