Where do I begin ?? My Heart is overflowing with Gratitude to each & everyone of you who helped make this possible another Season !! :)
It has been another successful Christmas & the Homeless people in both parks received new socks, underwear, new jackets, t-shirts, beanies, gloves, some scarves, some hand-crochet blankets, along with new tooth brushes & tooth paste, also some deodorant, shampoo, razors, tissues & bars of soap. There were cracker snacks, soups, peanut butter treats, cereal, energy bars, etc., things that would help when hungry. :)
And many books to read for everyone. We were able to put at least two to three books in each grocery gift bag. Trader Joe's was kind enough to let me have about 100 bags for this. :) I told them that the homeless would advertise for Trader Joe's that way. :)
We put together many Christmas baggies filled with lots of home-baked cookies, & candy. Everyone got candy canes, plus lots of other candy & chocolates too. :)
The children at "Our Mother of Sorrow Preschool" made Christmas cards & they were precious, being made by 4 year olds. :) Thank you Mrs. Davis & Mrs. Diaz !! :)
We also had a whole bunch of really incredible Christmas cards to put into the bags, which were made by older children at "Canyon View Elementary School" & by "Pueblo Gardens School". :) These cards were so beautiful & what these children wrote touched us all very deeply. Some had glitter on them & others Angels & beautiful drawings. Some of them made me cry, just reading them. Thank you Ms. Rodriguez-Loya, Ms. Saldamando, Ms. Aubrey, Ms. Foster, & Ms. Semler !! :)
Tania (11) & Adiel (6) Carvajal also made some precious Christmas cards too. Thank you both !! :) And thank you to this beautiful family, the "Cookie Family", for donating some money for all of this !! :)
On December 19th, Hilde made her much requested meat loaf & her famous gravy for Christmas dinner at the two parks & we added mash potatoes, corn, green beans with bacon, & jello with lots of fruit in it, along with whip cream & cookies. Everyone received a can of soda, which Sara Turner & Virginia Nurre donated so kindly !! :) Thank you my dear Hilde for making all those huge trays of meat loaf for two days & the two great big pots of gravy too. The meal was much appreciated by everyone !! :) For those of you who don't know, Hilde is 87 years young & she has cooked with me for over a year now twice a week, every week. :) She is such an inspiration to us all !! :)
Thank you Susie Thompson for making the two huge bowls of jello with all the fruit for dessert !! :) I know that wasn't easy when you are not used to cooking such huge quantities.
My dear friend Jane Ash donated two huge wreaths & we hung one in each park along with some gold lame' streamers. The wreaths were beautiful & helped everyone there to get into the Christmas Spirit. I had Christmas music blasting from my car radio the whole time we served the food & handed out all the gift bags. :) All the food servers wore Santa hats. :) It was truly magical & will forever remain a memory. :)
I have a long list of people to thank for helping to pull all this off one way or another. Much, much THANKS goes to each & everyone of you:
Cristina Ball for all the cookies & candy & for all your loving support of this for over a year now !! :)
Jane Ash for the wreaths, santa hats, candy, chocolates, hygene items, beanies, socks, gloves & the money on top of all this. You are a Blessing, Jane !! :)
My neighbor Sue Bradford for the candy, beanies & tissues. Thanks Dear !! :)
Laurel Gregory, my long time friend in Oregon, for the 16 brand-new jackets & all those warm socks, beanies, gloves & underwear. And Sarah Robles for helping with that too. :) You are The Best !! :)
Marian & George for baking a bunch of Christmas tree cookies. :)
Diana (Hilde's friend) for donating food, gloves, scarves & some money for the meat loaf. :) Thank you also for your continued support, you are great !! :)
The "Helping Hands Crafters" for all those incredible hand crochet blankets & for all the hand knit caps. Your hands were very busy & are very much appreciated !! :)
Celina Pena for donating socks, beanies, books & deodorant. :)
Tracy (Cristina's friend) for all the hygene items, cookies & candy !! You are awesome Girl !! :)
Maggie & Brian Disbury for all the food, beanies & hygene items, especially all the Energy Bars. :) You two are very beautiful people & I am so grateful for you both !! :)
Virginia Nurre for the huge amount of cookies you baked & for putting them in smaller bags to make it easier for me to distribute. You are ever so thoughtful, Dear !! :) And thank you for the candy & the books too.
Jeanne Pilegi thanks for all the cookies you donated !! You are much appreciated always !! :)
Reilly Zoda donated four huge boxes of books. It is so fun now when I drive up to the parks to see the homeless sitting there reading your books. It always puts a smile on my face. :) Thank you Reilly for caring !! :)
My dear Mary Helen (83), thank you for all the candy you brought over to help out !! :)
And my dear Katherine Knez (also 83 years young) for your kind donation !! :)
The Rosary Makers Club of Tucson for all the paper goods & canned food !! I so appreciate your continued help with this !! :)
And then there is Mark Irvin's group, called the Winers & Diners, who collected & sent the biggest donation I have ever received. I cried happy tears for at least a couple of days & then came another big donation from Frank Dahl, who is also a member of the club. More tears of course. :) Part of your donations helped so much with the Christmas meal & provided some of the items I didn't have enough of, like warm beanies, gloves, underwear, etc. You made such a big difference with all your Kindness !! :)
My neighbor Sara Turner, who donated a lot of soda's & lots of snack food, along with candy too. :)
A big thank you goes to Dawn Richards in Minnesota, who once more sent four huge boxes of clothes for the homeless, with many, many t-shirts. Thank you Dawn for your loving support, you are incredible !! :) The postage alone ...... :o
Mark Salcido for letting us borrow your truck so we could transport all those gift bags from my home to the two parks. We couldn't have done this without your generosity !! :)
Rachel & Michael Wood for the money you sent so kindly from beautiful San Diego !! :)
And to Bill & Patti Mages all the way from Chicago, for your dear contribution !! Thank you so much for thinking of the Homeless !! :)
I hope that I didn't forget anyone & if I did, please forgive me. :) It took a lot to pull all this off for so many people & I think I kept a pretty good record of it all. I am still tired & need a little time to bounce back to normal again.
A collective THANK YOU to all of you & may the Blessings you gave to the Homeless return to you in many beautiful ways each & every day !! :) May You Be Blessed Always & In All Ways !! :)
Feeding the Homeless People in the City Parks of Tucson, Arizona.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
My Friend Darryl Chee, R.I.P.
I am really sad right now. :( Darryl, who was the reason I began feeding the homeless two years ago, died yesterday, on December 29th, at 3:38 PM. :(
On Friday Darryl was hit by a car on Grant Road & had been in a coma ever since. His family came down from the Navajo Reservation yesterday to remove the life support, as Darryl had hardly any brain activity left.
Tomorrow we will make a Spirit Plate for him at the Park & we will send him "Home" with prayers & a full belly.
See you again some day Darryl !!
On Friday Darryl was hit by a car on Grant Road & had been in a coma ever since. His family came down from the Navajo Reservation yesterday to remove the life support, as Darryl had hardly any brain activity left.
Tomorrow we will make a Spirit Plate for him at the Park & we will send him "Home" with prayers & a full belly.
See you again some day Darryl !!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Blankets, Sleeping Bags, Christmas Trees, etc. :)
The nights are getting colder too now here in Tucson & my Heart goes out to the Homeless in the City Parks who are sleeping outside on the ground. :(
If you have any extra blankets, sleeping bags, comforters, etc., to donate please let me know & I will take them with me to the parks when I go to feed the people there. :)
Please spread the word with your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Backpacks are always needed too, if anyone has extra. :)
I also would like to put up a Christmas Tree at each of the two parks we go to. If any of you have an extra one to donate that would be much appreciated. :) Would also need some decorations too. :) Nothing fancy, just more symbolic than anything else & to let everyone know that they are loved. :)
Thank you all my Angels out there in this beautiful world of ours !! :)
If you have any extra blankets, sleeping bags, comforters, etc., to donate please let me know & I will take them with me to the parks when I go to feed the people there. :)
Please spread the word with your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Backpacks are always needed too, if anyone has extra. :)
I also would like to put up a Christmas Tree at each of the two parks we go to. If any of you have an extra one to donate that would be much appreciated. :) Would also need some decorations too. :) Nothing fancy, just more symbolic than anything else & to let everyone know that they are loved. :)
Thank you all my Angels out there in this beautiful world of ours !! :)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Wisdom for this Day
"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."
- Muhammad Ali
- Muhammad Ali
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Garage Sale for the Homeless Food Fund
My friend Sherry is putting together her second Garage Sale to raise money so we can continue to feed the homeless. :) Her first one was a big success, she was able to raise $300.00. :) Thank you Sherry & everyone who contributed !! :)
If you would like to help out by donating usable items please give me a call at 520-326-2236 so we can coordinate it. This will happen in about two or three weeks. We don't have a definite date yet.
Thank you for your Kindness !! :)
If you would like to help out by donating usable items please give me a call at 520-326-2236 so we can coordinate it. This will happen in about two or three weeks. We don't have a definite date yet.
Thank you for your Kindness !! :)
Friday, October 7, 2011
I'm Back !! :)
I'm baaaaaack !! :) I promise to try real hard to continue to blog, although feeding the homeless has grown so much I have gotten busier with feeding more & more people. :) As of this Monday together we have fed 7,631 in 20 1/2 months & are still going strong. This number will grow again tomorrow.
Since it is getting colder again at night it is time to gather blankets & sleeping bags again & some warm clothes for the homeless. Right now the blankets are most important, the clothes can wait a little while longer. I don't have much room to store things.
We are also starting to plan for Thanksgiving & for Christmas too. So if you would like to help, please contact me. :) For Christmas I could use a lot of cookies again this year for the gift bags for the homeless. :)
The Health Department & I are working together towards a solution that will work for both of us & their kindness & caring is much appreciated !! Now if my crazy & heartless neighbor just would stop calling them every other day complaining about my cooking in my own home !! It amazes me for someone to be that mean & to have that much time on their hands with nothing better to do than to constantly complain about others. Just imagine all the good that could be done with that time instead !! :)
Well, we will carry forward with what we do to make a difference here in Tucson & hopefully be an inspiration to the rest of the country. :)
Have a blessed weekend everyone !! :)
Since it is getting colder again at night it is time to gather blankets & sleeping bags again & some warm clothes for the homeless. Right now the blankets are most important, the clothes can wait a little while longer. I don't have much room to store things.
We are also starting to plan for Thanksgiving & for Christmas too. So if you would like to help, please contact me. :) For Christmas I could use a lot of cookies again this year for the gift bags for the homeless. :)
The Health Department & I are working together towards a solution that will work for both of us & their kindness & caring is much appreciated !! Now if my crazy & heartless neighbor just would stop calling them every other day complaining about my cooking in my own home !! It amazes me for someone to be that mean & to have that much time on their hands with nothing better to do than to constantly complain about others. Just imagine all the good that could be done with that time instead !! :)
Well, we will carry forward with what we do to make a difference here in Tucson & hopefully be an inspiration to the rest of the country. :)
Have a blessed weekend everyone !! :)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Woman feeding homeless violating food code? | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona
Woman feeding homeless violating food code? | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona
Please click on the picture in the article & it will open the video of the news report for you.
Please click on the picture in the article & it will open the video of the news report for you.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Story of Feeding the Homeless in Tucson's City Parks
Here is the link
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11034906/
to the story of feeding the homeless in Tucson's City parks, as created by Buck Bannister.
Thank You Buck, you nailed it !! :)
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/11034906/
to the story of feeding the homeless in Tucson's City parks, as created by Buck Bannister.
Thank You Buck, you nailed it !! :)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Article on me in the Tucson Weekly on 2-2-11
I wanted to share this article on me in the TUCSON WEEKLY with everyone to keep you up to date on the happenings around Feeding the Homeless people in the parks here.
If there is an attorney in Tucson who would be open to helping me for free to get a "Acts of Kindness Law" established I really could use the help in doing so. I would love to have this law cover all of America, as there are other people like me in this country who would be covered by it also, especially bake sales & children's lemonade stands, which are all "Acts of Kindness" too & are part of American traditions.
Thank you all so much !! :)
If there is an attorney in Tucson who would be open to helping me for free to get a "Acts of Kindness Law" established I really could use the help in doing so. I would love to have this law cover all of America, as there are other people like me in this country who would be covered by it also, especially bake sales & children's lemonade stands, which are all "Acts of Kindness" too & are part of American traditions.
Thank you all so much !! :)
Friday, January 21, 2011
Many, Many Thanks !! :)
I apologize for all these Thank Yous to be soooo delayed !! I feel that it is more important to feed the homeless than to sit & blog about it, at least when there isn't much time for blogging.
I hope that you will understand !! :)
After the article in "The New Southwest" paper & three days later another one in the "Arizona Daily Star" were published things have been extremely busy here & very, very joyful to say the least !! :) So many people opened their hearts & donated warm clothing, sleeping bags, comforters, money, canned food, & offered their helping hands in many different ways !! :) For a whole month daily I ran dry two regular telephone batteries by being on the phone so much. :)
KINDNESS IS DEFINITELY ALIVE IN TUCSON !! :) IT SURE LIVES HERE IN OUR CITY !!
I will write about some of the stories in my next blog, this one I would like to make a point in thanking each & everyone of you for helping out the homeless people in your own special ways during the past two months. :)
Alice & Luna Adams - thank you both !! Luna (who is 14 years old) for helping me cook & then coming to the parks with me to serve !! :) And her Mom Alice for helping us serve the food !! :)
Ruth Adelstone - thank you for donating lots of warm clothes & food !! :) And for offering your help with cooking & serving food at the parks. :) Also for donating all those paper plates, bowls, plastic ware & lots of broth & canned vegetables !! :)
Mary Helen Allison - thank you for bringing over warm clothes, a Tupperware bowl & a donation to the food fund on top of it all !! :)
Jane Ash of First Rate Second Hand Thrift Shop - thank you for donating soooo much used clothes !! :)
You are awesome !! :)
Cristina Ball - thank you so much for the food fund donations you gave so kindly, the clothes you brought over & all the other help you provided along with your special lil' Kirsten !! :)
Buck Bannister - thank you for all the wonderful cookies every week, which the homeless people just love !! :) If I don't have any on some days, they actually ask for them. :) I love it !!
Malinda Barry - thank you for donating all those really great Christmas cookies your neighbors & you had baked !! :) What a treat for the people in the parks. And for the donation to the food fund from your office !! :)
Dee Beck - thank you for helping out !! :)
Pat Bovine - thank you for the food you brought over after Thanksgiving & for continuing to come to the parks or my house to help out wherever we need you !! You are very precious Dear !! :)
Sue & Bob Bradford - thank you soooo much for your cash donations & for the paper plates for the meals for the people in the parks !! :) And for the honoring mention you gave me twice in our home-owners newsletter !! :) You made me cry - happy tears !! :)
Nancy Bratton - thank you for the check you sent for the homeless food / grocery fund !! :)
John Brehaut - thank you for giving up your favorite jackets to the homeless to keep 'em warm. :) You touched me deeply by doing that !! :)
George & Marian Brennen - thank you for donating clothes & blankets & for involving your friends to join you in doing so !! :)
Lini Burton - thank you for the case of squash, the cucumbers & the melons you brought over for us to cook for the homeless !! :)
Carol Campbell - thank you so much for the brand-new sleeping bag you donated !! :)
Cheryl Carpenter - thank you for the incredible Steamer Pot to help with the cooking for the homeless & for specially making 6 baby blankets with matching stuffed toys for the Native American Christmas Project !! :)
You didn't have much time, but pulled it all off !! :)
Chris Chandler, Dan Unterbrink & young Alexandra Unterbrink - thank you for coming to Estevan Park & for handing out lots of clothes & blankets directly to the homeless there. And for your donation to the food fund !! Thank you, Alexandra for giving up your very favorite blanket to give to a homeless person !! :) You are so very, very kind !! :)
Tina & Rich Cromwell - thank you for your food money donation & the beautiful hand-made Christmas card you sent !! :) I Love You my dear Friends !!
Coleen Cruz - thank you for bringing over some rice & beans !! :)
Jon D'Auria - thank you for donating all that ground beef & chili powder after meeting you in line at Safeway on New Years Eve !! :) How was your party that evening ??
Sherry DeClercq - thank you for bringing over clothes & shoes for the homeless & for your check for feeding the homeless !! :)
Sharon Dely - thank you for all the clothes you brought over !! :)
Colin & Emily Disbury - thank you for donating to the food / grocery fund for the homeless !! :) I Love Your Grandparents a lot !! :) Maggie, please thank your anonymous friend for me for her donation !! :)
Dominic & members of the Lions Club - thank you for lots of clothes to keep the homeless warm the past very cold days here in Tucson !! :)
Betty Doron - thank you for the check you sent to help with the food / groceries fund !! :)
Anita Duxler - thank you for the wonderful & warm clothing for the homeless !! :)
Betty Edwards (the Water Lady) - thank you for sending a donation to the food fund for the homeless !! :)
Nicole Esposito & Colin Catron - thank you for all the clothes you brought over, Nicole !! :) Colin, thank you for picking up the bread for the homeless every Friday at Beyond Bread !! :) And thank you Colin for the food you donated for the Chili !! :) You two are so precious together !! :)
Hilde Gavera (86 years young) - thank you for making 50 warm scarves for the homeless for Christmas, which we put into their gift bags !! :) And thank you for being my cooking helper twice a week !! :)
I Love You !!
Josie Godell - thank you for the two jackets & the warm clothes you brought over !! :)
Donna Gray - thank you for sending a check, & your dear note, to help with buying the food for the homeless meals !! :)
Liz Gray - thank you for your check for the food fund for the homeless !! :)
Phyllis Grimaldi - thank you for your donation for food / groceries !! :) It was nice to see you at Trader Joe's. Thank you for your sweet note.
Mimi Haggerty - thank you for the food you donated, the paper plates & bowls, the napkins & plastic wear too !! Also the sleeping bags !! :) It was so nice to see you again after all these years !! :)
Lois Holland - thank you for helping out with the food / grocery fund !! :)
Judy Hunter & Shanna Benson - thank you for donating soooo much clothes for the people in the parks !! :)
Joanne Jacobsen & your Sister-in-Law Elaine - thank you for all the blankets & jackets & the donation for the food fund !! :)
Marilyn Kaniowsky - thank you for the Granola Bars, blankets, socks, beanies, & the warm clothes you brought to Estevan Park for the homeless !! :)
Bernie Keegan - thank you soooo much for your loving & kind donations & all the warm clothes you shared with the homeless too !! :) You touched me deeply !! :) Also a big thank you to your employees Susie Rodriguez & Cindy Herron for donating money for Christmas in your name !! :)
Joyce Fuller Kleikamp & her Mom Hazel - thank you for all the clothes you have brought over to keep the homeless warm !! :) Joyce goes to SAVERS on their 99 cent days & gets clothes for the people in the parks. What a great idea !! :)
Momi & Ernie Kojima - thank you for bringing over many comforters, warm jackets & lots of other clothes !! :) During a big rain storm here at that. :o
Thank you to the elderly Lady who dropped of a wool scarf & wool sweater at my front door, when I wasn't home. I don't know your name & I apologize for that.
Eva Lehrman - thank you for the many blankets & jackets for the homeless & for the kind help you gave me personally !! :) How can I ever thank you ??
June Leslie - thank you for crocheting 10 warm wool hats & then finding matching gloves & scarves to each one !! :) The sets were absolutely gorgeous !! :)
Stan Lowery - thank you for donating all these wonderful organic home grown vegetables & melons !! :) The homeless loved it & what a treat it was for 'em !! :)
Bill & Patti Mages - thank you for your wonderful donation to help out with the food for the people in the city parks !! :) Did you ever realize that we go back 45 years now ??!! :o I Love You Both !!
Dot Main & Holly Hoskins - thank you you two for all the clothes you gave to Jessie for the homeless !! :)
Marika Marks - thank you for helping me with putting the gift bags together for the homeless & for wrapping a ton of gifts for the Native American Christmas Project !! :) You made a huge difference that day !! :)
Betty & Ben Martin - thank you for all the clothes & warm coats !! :)
Linda Mason - thank you for the two almost brand-new sleeping bags, which were so needed by the homeless, who are sleeping on the ground !! :)
Brigitte Miller - thank you for the donation for the food / grocery fund !! :) It was really nice to meet you, my fellow German !! :)
Gary Menard - thank you for the huge cooking pot & spoon to help with making cooking such big quantities easier now !! :) That was soooo thoughtful of you !!
Barry Moore - thank you for your help with the food fund !! :) Thank you also for your wonderful & kind letter !! It was nice to hear from you !! I am still waiting for the first version of your letter. :)
Martin Murphy - thank you for donating money for food & for coming to the parks & helping serve the food when I needed help !! :) You are always welcome to join us !!
Virginia & Sherry Nurre - thank you for chipping into the food / grocery fund !! :) It was so nice to see you again the other day !! :)
Sharon O'Higgins - thank you for giving Jessie the comforter to keep the homeless warm !! :)
And thank you to the other bank lady who donated a blanket, by giving it to Jessie also. I don't know your name Dear !! :)
Britta Plathner - thank you so much for donating lots of pasta & spaghetti sauce !! :)
Jane Powers - thank you for contributing to the food fund !! :)
Donna Pugh - thank you for all the food, toys, clothes, toiletries & candy you donated !! :) A lot of it went into the gift bags for the homeless & the toys were donated to my Native American Christmas Project.
Melanie Regan - thank you Mel for chipping into the food fund !! :) Love Ya Girl !!
Stephen Roberts - thank you for continuing to help out with the cost of the food / groceries !! :) I appreciate your on-going Kindness soooo much !! :)
Gary Mc..... also does & A.W. Newman too.
It is people like you who keep me going in feeding the homeless !! I am very grateful to you !! :)
Gary, I loved all the stickers you put on the envelope of your Christmas card !! :)
Terri Parson's - thank you for the clothes you gave to Jessie for the homeless people !! :)
Julia Riffle - thank you dearly for sending all those really warm jackets for the homeless, even though you had to pay a ton for postage !! :) You are so sweet !! :)
Betty Russell - thank you for donating soooo much clothes & for all the food your brought over for the homeless !! :)
Steve Sabrick - thank you for all the really warm comforters & blankets you brought over for the people in the parks !! :)
Mark Salcido - thank you, my friend, for all the wonderful men's clothes you brought over for the homeless !! :)
Patricia Scott - thank you for your generosity to help out with the food !! :) Please send me one of your booklets when you have it done, I'd love to see it !! Sending prayers your way for successful knee surgery !!
Charles Shidisky - thank you for your kind check for the food / grocery fund !! :)
Gina Stanfill - thank you for sending a check for the homeless food fund !! :)
Patricia Stokes - thank you for the money for the food fund !! :)
Irva Stokes - thank you for your donation for food !! :)
Michael T. - thank you to you two for the sack of rice, potatoes & plastic wear !! :)
Chanie Teague, Cindy, Lori & Laura - thank you all soooo much for donating all those brand-new socks, gloves & blankets, plus the jackets & sleeping bags !! :) Thank you Chanie for involving your co-workers in this too, you are great !! :)
Barbara Tobin - thank you soooo much for your check & your lil' note !! :)
Trader Joe's - John, thank you for donating over 50 of your wonderful grocery bags so we could fill them with Christmas gifts for the homeless to make their holidays a little more special !! :)
Pat Treptow - thank you for the warm clothing & the blanket you donated !! :)
Lydia Valencia & Friends - thank you for all the beautifully put together & specially decorated bags of home baked cookies. We added them to the above gift bags for special treats for the homeless !! :)
Patricia Vankirk - thank you for helping out with the food !! :)
Raffie Villa - thank you for bringing soooo much food over for the homeless feedings & for donating money to help me with the electric bill, which has gone up considerably since I am cooking for so many people. :)
Wendy & Shirley Weeks - thank you for all the wonderfully warm coats & jackets, plus other warm clothing too you brought over !! :) Some were even brand-new. :o
Sharon Wickwar - thank you for your generous check for feeding the homeless !! :) And thank you soooo much for the beautiful prayer you sent my way !! :) I made copies for my cooking & serving the food helpers, so they could enjoy the prayer also !! :) You are very, very kind !! :)
James Wittenberg - thank you for your donation for feeding the homeless !! :)
Rachel & Michael Wood - thank you my dear Friends for helping out with the food fund !! :)
Ann Marie Yablonski - thank you for your donation for the food !! :)
Then there is the Grandma who sent a donation check in the name of her Grandchildren as Christmas gifts. She wanted to remain anonymous. Thank you for your generosity !! :)
I hope that I didn't forget anyone & if I did, please forgive me !! I tried my best to keep track of everything that happened the past two months, which was quite a lot. :)
As soon as I can I will share stories with you to get us current again & back to blogging every week. :)
May this year bring to each & everyone of you what your Heart desires & may you be blessed always & in all ways !!
I hope that you will understand !! :)
After the article in "The New Southwest" paper & three days later another one in the "Arizona Daily Star" were published things have been extremely busy here & very, very joyful to say the least !! :) So many people opened their hearts & donated warm clothing, sleeping bags, comforters, money, canned food, & offered their helping hands in many different ways !! :) For a whole month daily I ran dry two regular telephone batteries by being on the phone so much. :)
KINDNESS IS DEFINITELY ALIVE IN TUCSON !! :) IT SURE LIVES HERE IN OUR CITY !!
I will write about some of the stories in my next blog, this one I would like to make a point in thanking each & everyone of you for helping out the homeless people in your own special ways during the past two months. :)
Alice & Luna Adams - thank you both !! Luna (who is 14 years old) for helping me cook & then coming to the parks with me to serve !! :) And her Mom Alice for helping us serve the food !! :)
Ruth Adelstone - thank you for donating lots of warm clothes & food !! :) And for offering your help with cooking & serving food at the parks. :) Also for donating all those paper plates, bowls, plastic ware & lots of broth & canned vegetables !! :)
Mary Helen Allison - thank you for bringing over warm clothes, a Tupperware bowl & a donation to the food fund on top of it all !! :)
Jane Ash of First Rate Second Hand Thrift Shop - thank you for donating soooo much used clothes !! :)
You are awesome !! :)
Cristina Ball - thank you so much for the food fund donations you gave so kindly, the clothes you brought over & all the other help you provided along with your special lil' Kirsten !! :)
Buck Bannister - thank you for all the wonderful cookies every week, which the homeless people just love !! :) If I don't have any on some days, they actually ask for them. :) I love it !!
Malinda Barry - thank you for donating all those really great Christmas cookies your neighbors & you had baked !! :) What a treat for the people in the parks. And for the donation to the food fund from your office !! :)
Dee Beck - thank you for helping out !! :)
Pat Bovine - thank you for the food you brought over after Thanksgiving & for continuing to come to the parks or my house to help out wherever we need you !! You are very precious Dear !! :)
Sue & Bob Bradford - thank you soooo much for your cash donations & for the paper plates for the meals for the people in the parks !! :) And for the honoring mention you gave me twice in our home-owners newsletter !! :) You made me cry - happy tears !! :)
Nancy Bratton - thank you for the check you sent for the homeless food / grocery fund !! :)
John Brehaut - thank you for giving up your favorite jackets to the homeless to keep 'em warm. :) You touched me deeply by doing that !! :)
George & Marian Brennen - thank you for donating clothes & blankets & for involving your friends to join you in doing so !! :)
Lini Burton - thank you for the case of squash, the cucumbers & the melons you brought over for us to cook for the homeless !! :)
Carol Campbell - thank you so much for the brand-new sleeping bag you donated !! :)
Cheryl Carpenter - thank you for the incredible Steamer Pot to help with the cooking for the homeless & for specially making 6 baby blankets with matching stuffed toys for the Native American Christmas Project !! :)
You didn't have much time, but pulled it all off !! :)
Chris Chandler, Dan Unterbrink & young Alexandra Unterbrink - thank you for coming to Estevan Park & for handing out lots of clothes & blankets directly to the homeless there. And for your donation to the food fund !! Thank you, Alexandra for giving up your very favorite blanket to give to a homeless person !! :) You are so very, very kind !! :)
Tina & Rich Cromwell - thank you for your food money donation & the beautiful hand-made Christmas card you sent !! :) I Love You my dear Friends !!
Coleen Cruz - thank you for bringing over some rice & beans !! :)
Jon D'Auria - thank you for donating all that ground beef & chili powder after meeting you in line at Safeway on New Years Eve !! :) How was your party that evening ??
Sherry DeClercq - thank you for bringing over clothes & shoes for the homeless & for your check for feeding the homeless !! :)
Sharon Dely - thank you for all the clothes you brought over !! :)
Colin & Emily Disbury - thank you for donating to the food / grocery fund for the homeless !! :) I Love Your Grandparents a lot !! :) Maggie, please thank your anonymous friend for me for her donation !! :)
Dominic & members of the Lions Club - thank you for lots of clothes to keep the homeless warm the past very cold days here in Tucson !! :)
Betty Doron - thank you for the check you sent to help with the food / groceries fund !! :)
Anita Duxler - thank you for the wonderful & warm clothing for the homeless !! :)
Betty Edwards (the Water Lady) - thank you for sending a donation to the food fund for the homeless !! :)
Nicole Esposito & Colin Catron - thank you for all the clothes you brought over, Nicole !! :) Colin, thank you for picking up the bread for the homeless every Friday at Beyond Bread !! :) And thank you Colin for the food you donated for the Chili !! :) You two are so precious together !! :)
Hilde Gavera (86 years young) - thank you for making 50 warm scarves for the homeless for Christmas, which we put into their gift bags !! :) And thank you for being my cooking helper twice a week !! :)
I Love You !!
Josie Godell - thank you for the two jackets & the warm clothes you brought over !! :)
Donna Gray - thank you for sending a check, & your dear note, to help with buying the food for the homeless meals !! :)
Liz Gray - thank you for your check for the food fund for the homeless !! :)
Phyllis Grimaldi - thank you for your donation for food / groceries !! :) It was nice to see you at Trader Joe's. Thank you for your sweet note.
Mimi Haggerty - thank you for the food you donated, the paper plates & bowls, the napkins & plastic wear too !! Also the sleeping bags !! :) It was so nice to see you again after all these years !! :)
Lois Holland - thank you for helping out with the food / grocery fund !! :)
Judy Hunter & Shanna Benson - thank you for donating soooo much clothes for the people in the parks !! :)
Joanne Jacobsen & your Sister-in-Law Elaine - thank you for all the blankets & jackets & the donation for the food fund !! :)
Marilyn Kaniowsky - thank you for the Granola Bars, blankets, socks, beanies, & the warm clothes you brought to Estevan Park for the homeless !! :)
Bernie Keegan - thank you soooo much for your loving & kind donations & all the warm clothes you shared with the homeless too !! :) You touched me deeply !! :) Also a big thank you to your employees Susie Rodriguez & Cindy Herron for donating money for Christmas in your name !! :)
Joyce Fuller Kleikamp & her Mom Hazel - thank you for all the clothes you have brought over to keep the homeless warm !! :) Joyce goes to SAVERS on their 99 cent days & gets clothes for the people in the parks. What a great idea !! :)
Momi & Ernie Kojima - thank you for bringing over many comforters, warm jackets & lots of other clothes !! :) During a big rain storm here at that. :o
Thank you to the elderly Lady who dropped of a wool scarf & wool sweater at my front door, when I wasn't home. I don't know your name & I apologize for that.
Eva Lehrman - thank you for the many blankets & jackets for the homeless & for the kind help you gave me personally !! :) How can I ever thank you ??
June Leslie - thank you for crocheting 10 warm wool hats & then finding matching gloves & scarves to each one !! :) The sets were absolutely gorgeous !! :)
Stan Lowery - thank you for donating all these wonderful organic home grown vegetables & melons !! :) The homeless loved it & what a treat it was for 'em !! :)
Bill & Patti Mages - thank you for your wonderful donation to help out with the food for the people in the city parks !! :) Did you ever realize that we go back 45 years now ??!! :o I Love You Both !!
Dot Main & Holly Hoskins - thank you you two for all the clothes you gave to Jessie for the homeless !! :)
Marika Marks - thank you for helping me with putting the gift bags together for the homeless & for wrapping a ton of gifts for the Native American Christmas Project !! :) You made a huge difference that day !! :)
Betty & Ben Martin - thank you for all the clothes & warm coats !! :)
Linda Mason - thank you for the two almost brand-new sleeping bags, which were so needed by the homeless, who are sleeping on the ground !! :)
Brigitte Miller - thank you for the donation for the food / grocery fund !! :) It was really nice to meet you, my fellow German !! :)
Gary Menard - thank you for the huge cooking pot & spoon to help with making cooking such big quantities easier now !! :) That was soooo thoughtful of you !!
Barry Moore - thank you for your help with the food fund !! :) Thank you also for your wonderful & kind letter !! It was nice to hear from you !! I am still waiting for the first version of your letter. :)
Martin Murphy - thank you for donating money for food & for coming to the parks & helping serve the food when I needed help !! :) You are always welcome to join us !!
Virginia & Sherry Nurre - thank you for chipping into the food / grocery fund !! :) It was so nice to see you again the other day !! :)
Sharon O'Higgins - thank you for giving Jessie the comforter to keep the homeless warm !! :)
And thank you to the other bank lady who donated a blanket, by giving it to Jessie also. I don't know your name Dear !! :)
Britta Plathner - thank you so much for donating lots of pasta & spaghetti sauce !! :)
Jane Powers - thank you for contributing to the food fund !! :)
Donna Pugh - thank you for all the food, toys, clothes, toiletries & candy you donated !! :) A lot of it went into the gift bags for the homeless & the toys were donated to my Native American Christmas Project.
Melanie Regan - thank you Mel for chipping into the food fund !! :) Love Ya Girl !!
Stephen Roberts - thank you for continuing to help out with the cost of the food / groceries !! :) I appreciate your on-going Kindness soooo much !! :)
Gary Mc..... also does & A.W. Newman too.
It is people like you who keep me going in feeding the homeless !! I am very grateful to you !! :)
Gary, I loved all the stickers you put on the envelope of your Christmas card !! :)
Terri Parson's - thank you for the clothes you gave to Jessie for the homeless people !! :)
Julia Riffle - thank you dearly for sending all those really warm jackets for the homeless, even though you had to pay a ton for postage !! :) You are so sweet !! :)
Betty Russell - thank you for donating soooo much clothes & for all the food your brought over for the homeless !! :)
Steve Sabrick - thank you for all the really warm comforters & blankets you brought over for the people in the parks !! :)
Mark Salcido - thank you, my friend, for all the wonderful men's clothes you brought over for the homeless !! :)
Patricia Scott - thank you for your generosity to help out with the food !! :) Please send me one of your booklets when you have it done, I'd love to see it !! Sending prayers your way for successful knee surgery !!
Charles Shidisky - thank you for your kind check for the food / grocery fund !! :)
Gina Stanfill - thank you for sending a check for the homeless food fund !! :)
Patricia Stokes - thank you for the money for the food fund !! :)
Irva Stokes - thank you for your donation for food !! :)
Michael T. - thank you to you two for the sack of rice, potatoes & plastic wear !! :)
Chanie Teague, Cindy, Lori & Laura - thank you all soooo much for donating all those brand-new socks, gloves & blankets, plus the jackets & sleeping bags !! :) Thank you Chanie for involving your co-workers in this too, you are great !! :)
Barbara Tobin - thank you soooo much for your check & your lil' note !! :)
Trader Joe's - John, thank you for donating over 50 of your wonderful grocery bags so we could fill them with Christmas gifts for the homeless to make their holidays a little more special !! :)
Pat Treptow - thank you for the warm clothing & the blanket you donated !! :)
Lydia Valencia & Friends - thank you for all the beautifully put together & specially decorated bags of home baked cookies. We added them to the above gift bags for special treats for the homeless !! :)
Patricia Vankirk - thank you for helping out with the food !! :)
Raffie Villa - thank you for bringing soooo much food over for the homeless feedings & for donating money to help me with the electric bill, which has gone up considerably since I am cooking for so many people. :)
Wendy & Shirley Weeks - thank you for all the wonderfully warm coats & jackets, plus other warm clothing too you brought over !! :) Some were even brand-new. :o
Sharon Wickwar - thank you for your generous check for feeding the homeless !! :) And thank you soooo much for the beautiful prayer you sent my way !! :) I made copies for my cooking & serving the food helpers, so they could enjoy the prayer also !! :) You are very, very kind !! :)
James Wittenberg - thank you for your donation for feeding the homeless !! :)
Rachel & Michael Wood - thank you my dear Friends for helping out with the food fund !! :)
Ann Marie Yablonski - thank you for your donation for the food !! :)
Then there is the Grandma who sent a donation check in the name of her Grandchildren as Christmas gifts. She wanted to remain anonymous. Thank you for your generosity !! :)
I hope that I didn't forget anyone & if I did, please forgive me !! I tried my best to keep track of everything that happened the past two months, which was quite a lot. :)
As soon as I can I will share stories with you to get us current again & back to blogging every week. :)
May this year bring to each & everyone of you what your Heart desires & may you be blessed always & in all ways !!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christ-mas
Merry Christ-mas to each & everyone of you !! :)
Wishing you a warm, joyous, happy & relaxing Holiday Season !! :)
I will be back blogging really soon !! Soooooooooo much has happened after the two articles about my Feeding the Homeless in the newspapers, soooooooooooo much to share with you !! :) In addition I made Christmas for two Native American families living on our local Tohono O'odham reservation. :) Life here has been very, very, very busy. :)
We handed out 50 gift bags this Monday to the homeless & fed 96 people in the two parks that day. :o
Sending you all lots of Love & big Hugs !!
Karin
Wishing you a warm, joyous, happy & relaxing Holiday Season !! :)
I will be back blogging really soon !! Soooooooooo much has happened after the two articles about my Feeding the Homeless in the newspapers, soooooooooooo much to share with you !! :) In addition I made Christmas for two Native American families living on our local Tohono O'odham reservation. :) Life here has been very, very, very busy. :)
We handed out 50 gift bags this Monday to the homeless & fed 96 people in the two parks that day. :o
Sending you all lots of Love & big Hugs !!
Karin
Monday, November 29, 2010
Burritos, Corn Dogs, Hamburgers, Cupcakes, Fresh Fruit & Smoothies
So much Joy to share with all of you !! :) And I am running so behind this week for wonderful reasons !! :)
The article about my work in "The New Southwest" paper called "Angel of Santa Rita Park" was published on November 17th. If you would like to read it, just click on the link above.
And three days later the "Arizona Daily Star" published my story about being "Belled". Click on this link to read it if you like. :)
I will blog lots more about all this in the coming weeks. At this point I am catching up for last week. :o
We fed 98 people the weekend of November 20th & had some wonderful donations due my story in "The New Southwest". Thank you Mikaela & Jim & more thanks go to you both for posting the Feeding the Homeless story on your website !! I am very grateful to you both & been telling many people about your wonderful & informative newspaper. Have been giving it to everyone who brings over donations & hasn't seen your great work for the betterment of society yet. :)
A homeless man came up to me at Santa Rita Park & gave me a Buddhist Prayer Bracelet. He really wanted me to have it, I couldn't talk him out of it. I don't know his name but his gift touched me deeply, it was so very sincere & from his Heart. :) It means lots to me & I will never forget the kind gesture of this man & his gratitude.
I met David R. & his daughter Carolyn at Bookman's Used Books in the Native American section on November 19th & we started a conversation. :) David was visiting his daughter & sister here in Tucson from Maine. Thank you so much David & Carolyn for your donation & for also coming with me to both parks helping to dish out the food. It was so much fun to have you both there & to watch you both enjoying yourself by being of service. :) I hope that you both will join me again at times. :)
Thank you Stan L. for donating all those incredible, organic watermelons, cucumbers & tomatoes that you grew yourself in your yard !! :) They were so good & tasted like real fruit & real vegetables were supposed to taste like. Those cucumbers were absolutely delicious, a combination of honeydew melons & cucumbers. Anytime you have extra please call me. :) :)
Buck of Sugar Pies made a big Spice Cake for the homeless people & I still have some left for this weekend. :) It was so good & moist & tasteful !! Jen & I had to have a sample, as you know. :) Buck also made a French Chocolate Cake with Buttercream. Yummmmmm !! Thank you dearest Buck !! :) You are a Treasure !!
My cooking helper, Jen Y., worked really hard again in the kitchen. I wouldn't know what to do without you Jen !! :) Thank you soooo much for your dedication to this cause !! :) And I love hanging out in my kitchen with you. It is always a great time to catch up on the weeks happenings. :)
Jessie M., the co-owner of Cycle Tucson, along with her husband Gary M., is my helper with dishing out the food every time we go to the parks. I am soooo grateful to you for always being there & for giving me the peace of mind to know that I can count on you. Thank you Jessie, my Co-Angel. :)
Pinau thank you for your blanket donations !! :) They are with the homeless already keeping some of them warm. Isn't it a nice feeling to know that ??!! :)
It's the same kind of feeling I get when I drive off after feeding everyone & watching them all sitting on the ground eating & looking happy for the meal. :)
Dede S., thank you for all the warm clothes, blankets, food & money you shared through Jessie with the people in the parks !! :) You are quite thoughtful & may you always be blessed for your Kindness !! :)
David D., you were soooo dear to bring all those fresh vegetables & fruit to the park & you brought a lot !! :) It was nice to watch you hand them all out yourself. :) At first you were a little shy but eventually you really began enjoying yourself & the experience of sharing took over. :) Please join us anytime. :) This is on-going.
A heartfelt thank you go to Dave & Linda M. for donating another cupcake carrier, which makes it all so much easier. I will share the cupcakes with you anytime you would like some. :) Also thank you for continuously donating a big part of the meals every other week !! You both are Angels !! :) I Love You Lots !!
Thank you once more Jennifer of Red Velvet Cupcakery for all those incredibly yummy cupcakes you continue to donate !! :) Everyone who reads this blog, please consider supporting the business. They donate free cupcakes every day to an AIDS Foundation, Casas De Los Ninos, my project, & others.
And their cupcakes are the very best in Tucson !! :) You'll see !! :) The red velvet & the lemon are my favorite. :)
A very dear man by the name of Aries, who works at the L.M. Prince Elementary School Cafeteria donated a lot of wonderful food after reading the article in The New Southwest paper. I was able to take a lot of extra food to the parks, food that the homeless could eat the next day, like corn dogs, already cooked & wrapped hamburgers, little smoothies, things that would keep a day or so. Aries also gave me two huge bags of already cooked chicken fingers & I will use half of them to make Chicken Parmigiana. The other half is in the freezer for another weekends meal to come. Thank You Aries soooo much !! :) And I love your name !! :)
Oh Holly T., you donated that wonderful 16 quart stock pot, which I really needed for vegetables. We used it already & I sent many thoughts of gratitude your way while cooking the food in it !! :) You are the best. :) Thank you also for the styrofoam plates & plastic silverware !! They are always needed. I haven't taken the nutrition drinks to the parks yet, but will next weekend, to keep it all interesting & diversified somewhat. :) Holly, keep smiling, your beautiful smile is contagious & rubs off on everyone. :)
Jim W. & Pam W. a big shout-out of gratitude to you for the donation check you sent for food for the homeless. :) My thank you goes to you on big Angel wings. :)
Melany & Chuck R., thank you so much for the check you sent for food & your beautiful card & precious feather !! :) I am so glad that we are Friends & I Love You Lots Mel !! :)
T-bird, you keep sending along some gas money & I so appreciate it. :) It always comes at a nick of time when I am on empty. Thank you my Friend !! :)
And my dear Catherine P., you sent blankets for the homeless all the way from Illinois, when you can't afford the postage yourself, being a single Mom !! You make me cry when I think about that. You are the embodiment of true giving, my Friend !! :) Thank you with all my Heart !! :) I Love You !!
Now this is the end of the story for last week & weekend & I'm glad that I am caught up a little bit anyway. :) In a few days I will blog about this weekend, which we are still in the middle of. :)
Have a wonder-filled week everyone & remember to look for Miracles !! :) They are everywhere !! :)
The article about my work in "The New Southwest" paper called "Angel of Santa Rita Park" was published on November 17th. If you would like to read it, just click on the link above.
And three days later the "Arizona Daily Star" published my story about being "Belled". Click on this link to read it if you like. :)
I will blog lots more about all this in the coming weeks. At this point I am catching up for last week. :o
We fed 98 people the weekend of November 20th & had some wonderful donations due my story in "The New Southwest". Thank you Mikaela & Jim & more thanks go to you both for posting the Feeding the Homeless story on your website !! I am very grateful to you both & been telling many people about your wonderful & informative newspaper. Have been giving it to everyone who brings over donations & hasn't seen your great work for the betterment of society yet. :)
A homeless man came up to me at Santa Rita Park & gave me a Buddhist Prayer Bracelet. He really wanted me to have it, I couldn't talk him out of it. I don't know his name but his gift touched me deeply, it was so very sincere & from his Heart. :) It means lots to me & I will never forget the kind gesture of this man & his gratitude.
I met David R. & his daughter Carolyn at Bookman's Used Books in the Native American section on November 19th & we started a conversation. :) David was visiting his daughter & sister here in Tucson from Maine. Thank you so much David & Carolyn for your donation & for also coming with me to both parks helping to dish out the food. It was so much fun to have you both there & to watch you both enjoying yourself by being of service. :) I hope that you both will join me again at times. :)
Thank you Stan L. for donating all those incredible, organic watermelons, cucumbers & tomatoes that you grew yourself in your yard !! :) They were so good & tasted like real fruit & real vegetables were supposed to taste like. Those cucumbers were absolutely delicious, a combination of honeydew melons & cucumbers. Anytime you have extra please call me. :) :)
Buck of Sugar Pies made a big Spice Cake for the homeless people & I still have some left for this weekend. :) It was so good & moist & tasteful !! Jen & I had to have a sample, as you know. :) Buck also made a French Chocolate Cake with Buttercream. Yummmmmm !! Thank you dearest Buck !! :) You are a Treasure !!
My cooking helper, Jen Y., worked really hard again in the kitchen. I wouldn't know what to do without you Jen !! :) Thank you soooo much for your dedication to this cause !! :) And I love hanging out in my kitchen with you. It is always a great time to catch up on the weeks happenings. :)
Jessie M., the co-owner of Cycle Tucson, along with her husband Gary M., is my helper with dishing out the food every time we go to the parks. I am soooo grateful to you for always being there & for giving me the peace of mind to know that I can count on you. Thank you Jessie, my Co-Angel. :)
Pinau thank you for your blanket donations !! :) They are with the homeless already keeping some of them warm. Isn't it a nice feeling to know that ??!! :)
It's the same kind of feeling I get when I drive off after feeding everyone & watching them all sitting on the ground eating & looking happy for the meal. :)
Dede S., thank you for all the warm clothes, blankets, food & money you shared through Jessie with the people in the parks !! :) You are quite thoughtful & may you always be blessed for your Kindness !! :)
David D., you were soooo dear to bring all those fresh vegetables & fruit to the park & you brought a lot !! :) It was nice to watch you hand them all out yourself. :) At first you were a little shy but eventually you really began enjoying yourself & the experience of sharing took over. :) Please join us anytime. :) This is on-going.
A heartfelt thank you go to Dave & Linda M. for donating another cupcake carrier, which makes it all so much easier. I will share the cupcakes with you anytime you would like some. :) Also thank you for continuously donating a big part of the meals every other week !! You both are Angels !! :) I Love You Lots !!
Thank you once more Jennifer of Red Velvet Cupcakery for all those incredibly yummy cupcakes you continue to donate !! :) Everyone who reads this blog, please consider supporting the business. They donate free cupcakes every day to an AIDS Foundation, Casas De Los Ninos, my project, & others.
And their cupcakes are the very best in Tucson !! :) You'll see !! :) The red velvet & the lemon are my favorite. :)
A very dear man by the name of Aries, who works at the L.M. Prince Elementary School Cafeteria donated a lot of wonderful food after reading the article in The New Southwest paper. I was able to take a lot of extra food to the parks, food that the homeless could eat the next day, like corn dogs, already cooked & wrapped hamburgers, little smoothies, things that would keep a day or so. Aries also gave me two huge bags of already cooked chicken fingers & I will use half of them to make Chicken Parmigiana. The other half is in the freezer for another weekends meal to come. Thank You Aries soooo much !! :) And I love your name !! :)
Oh Holly T., you donated that wonderful 16 quart stock pot, which I really needed for vegetables. We used it already & I sent many thoughts of gratitude your way while cooking the food in it !! :) You are the best. :) Thank you also for the styrofoam plates & plastic silverware !! They are always needed. I haven't taken the nutrition drinks to the parks yet, but will next weekend, to keep it all interesting & diversified somewhat. :) Holly, keep smiling, your beautiful smile is contagious & rubs off on everyone. :)
Jim W. & Pam W. a big shout-out of gratitude to you for the donation check you sent for food for the homeless. :) My thank you goes to you on big Angel wings. :)
Melany & Chuck R., thank you so much for the check you sent for food & your beautiful card & precious feather !! :) I am so glad that we are Friends & I Love You Lots Mel !! :)
T-bird, you keep sending along some gas money & I so appreciate it. :) It always comes at a nick of time when I am on empty. Thank you my Friend !! :)
And my dear Catherine P., you sent blankets for the homeless all the way from Illinois, when you can't afford the postage yourself, being a single Mom !! You make me cry when I think about that. You are the embodiment of true giving, my Friend !! :) Thank you with all my Heart !! :) I Love You !!
Now this is the end of the story for last week & weekend & I'm glad that I am caught up a little bit anyway. :) In a few days I will blog about this weekend, which we are still in the middle of. :)
Have a wonder-filled week everyone & remember to look for Miracles !! :) They are everywhere !! :)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tortilla Soup, Corn Chips, Dennenkoeken Cookies & Cupcakes
We fed a total of 84 people last weekend & surpassed 2,300 fed altogether now. :o
Jennifer from Red Velvet Cupcakery donated a bunch of wonderful gourmet cupcakes again & the homeless are always begging me for more than one. I can't blame them, those cupcakes are awesome !! :)
My dear friends Dave & Linda M. bought a cupcake carrier for me that holds 36 on 3 tiers. How thoughtful is that !! :) It keeps the cupcakes fresh much longer & is so much easier to carrying than the cardboard boxes. Thank you Dave & Linda !! You are The Best !! :) Dave is also helping carry all the heavy pots to my car & puts the cases of water into the coolers to take to the parks. :) They are pretty heavy for me to carry & I have been needing help.
Speaking of water .... Chad of Might Photography loaded 40 cases of water into both of our cars & he then unloaded them all into my garage. Thank you Chad for all that muscle work, you sure had a work-out that day. :) I am very grateful for your help !! :) Also, Chad is the gifted photographer who took the above pictures of me in my kitchen. He is very dedicated to his craft !! :)
And thank you once more my dear Laurel for paying for all that water for the homeless !! I So Love You !! :)
One of the homeless called me "Cupcake" & said that it is my new nickname. :) I laughed & told him that it fits me perfectly, I am chubby & I am short, just like a cupcake. :)
Thank you Buck of Sugar Pies for all the Dennenkoeken cookies. Everyone can find the recipe on Buck's blog, just click on the above link. And thank you Buck for helping chop up 30 lbs. of zucchini for the tortilla soup last Saturday & for shredding some of the chicken. I would have been very, very late to the park without your loving help. :)
Thank you Rosemarie H. for helping us serve the food last Monday & for bringing all those beautiful blankets to the homeless. :) Your Heart is very big !! It is always a Joy when you join Jessie & I at the parks !! :)
Katie brought over two loaves of bread from "Beyond Bread" for the Estevan Park people. Thanks Katie Dear !! :) The bread was gone pretty quickly, especially with the soup. :)
Maggie & Brian D. gathered a lot of warm clothes from their friends for the homeless & I will take them there on Monday, once I have the time to go through them all. Thank you also so much for bringing some of the food for this coming weekends meals !! :) You both are great friends to the homeless & me !!
Lots of thanks goes to Jennifer R. for not giving up & bringing over a bunch of fresh vegetables. :)
Jennifer went to Food City & saw a man taking a huge bag of reject vegetables & fruit outside. She asked him if she could have them for meals for the homeless & he said he couldn't do that. Well, Jennifer didn't give up & ended up having them in the back of her truck to bring over here. :) I am able to use a lot of the vegetables, they were still good, just not good enough to sell anymore. Thank you nice Food City man for caring !! :) I am making burritos this coming weekend & all those peppers, chile's, tomatoes, etc., are perfect & healthy to mix in with the rice & meat. :)
Jessie & I went to a Lions Club meeting on Wednesday at 7:00 AM to try to get donations of blankets, sleeping bags & jackets for the homeless. It was Jessie's idea :), she has a friend who is a member. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a night owl & don't go to sleep until about 2:00 or 3:00 AM. I never got any sleep that night since I needed to get up around 6:00 AM to make it to the meeting. :) The Lions gave us a wonderful breakfast & some great coffee, which Jessie & I had lots of, trying to wake up. Thank you Jessie for talking first, as I was still sort of brain-dead at that early hour. :) We really enjoyed ourselves though & it all was very educational. The Lions do a lot of incredible work to help our community !! :)
Lion Tim G. gave me a wonderful cash donation for the food fund & I am very grateful for your generosity Tim !! :) Lil' Kencie & her Dad also donated & so did Julie K., whose visiting father told some very interesting stories about his career. Thank you each & everyone of you for your caring & sharing!! :)
And it looks like we might be getting some used jackets from some of the members & hopefully blankets too. :)
Last Monday we were asked for gloves too. Something else I never thought of, but which now makes total sense to me for during the nights when it is so cold. All of this is such a learning experience for me & it is good to share it all with each & everyone of you. :)
I would like to send out another great big shout-out to Dawn in Minnesota. She has been saving up her pennies to buy brandnew underwear for both men & women, also new t-shirts & socks too. This amazes me since Dawn does this periodically & then mails it all to Tucson. She has very limited income, but wants to give & help out. Many Blessings to you Dawn & I am ever so grateful for your caring Heart !! :)
I decided to keep it all to give as Christmas gifts to the homeless & some of it to the Native Americans as part of my "6th Annual Native American Christmas Project". :) I hope that I will meet you some day Dawn, so I can give you a great big Hug !! :)
There is more incredible news to share, but I will keep it for the next blog. This one has gotten pretty long, as they mostly are. :o It is always great though to share all this wonderful news with everyone !! :)
Good night now & sleep with the Angels always !! :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
American Goulash, Green Beans with Bacon, Cookies
On Monday while feeding the homeless at Santa Rita Park Jeannette Packard walked over to us & presented a Ben's Bell to me. What a surprise !! I had heard a little bit about it, but didn't know the whole story. For those of you who never heard of Ben's Bells here is the link to their website. The stories are quite remarkable !! :)
When receiving my bell from Jeannette I couldn't stop crying I was touched so deeply & kept hanging onto dear Jessie, who helps me serve the food every week & who nominated me for this incredible honor. I'm still crying every time I think about this. All the homeless people waiting in line to be fed started clapping & cheering & that made me cry even more. Some even gave me hugs to congratulate me. :) Gary, Jessie's husband took pictures & so did Jeannette. I wish I could bottle all the emotions felt by everyone & then attach them to this blog, as again the words don't do it all justice.
I was really happy to see Jeannette's son Matthew there too, who is a teenager now, and two of his young friends. :) I always felt that we can't teach children early enough to give to & care about others !! :) Especially these times when we spoil our children so much with material things. Matthew, thank you soooo much for coming too & please thank your two friends for me also. :)
It is hard for me to hold back my tears of joy as I am writing this. In the Ben's Bells brochure is says "Each week an individual who has been nominated by others in our community is chosen to receive a Ben's Bell for his or her consistent displays of intentional kindness".
Thank you Jeannette & Dean & Matthew for all the Joy & Kindness you spread all over Tucson, & I noticed on your website, in many other places in America too now!! :) I would love to give you a Ben's Bell too !! :) You deserve a huge one !! :)
Another gift is coming out being a "Bellee". On Saturday, November 20th, there will be a feature on me in our biggest local daily newspaper called the "Arizona Daily Star". Hopefully that the exposure will help in getting more donations & more people who help out. :) We fed 100 people this past weekend for a total of 2,220 so far. :)
Now, if Jeannette hasn't done enough already, she even went to the Red Velvet Cupcakery, which is next door to her office & asked what they do with their cupcakes at the end of the day. The owners gave her four boxes full for the homeless & said that we can pick up cupcakes every Tuesday & Thursday. :) What wonderful & generous people & how amazing it all is !! :) More tears of joy !!
Karen V., the Executive Director of Amber Lights Retirement Community had asked me to come there & share with her employees about my Feeding the Homeless, which I did. Karen had put together a raffle for the residents & the employees to raise money for the homeless project & after my talk presented me with the money raised & some food too. :) It will almost pay for one week of meals & I am soooo grateful to you Karen for caring so deeply !! :) Karen said that she will do a raffle once a month now to continue to help out. :) More tears of joy !! :)
Chad Might of Might Photography came over & took a bunch of pictures of me in my kitchen for my story in the November issue of "The New Southwest" newspaper (formerly called the Green Times), which will be published & everywhere in Tucson on the 15th of this month. You can find it at many places, like Bookman's, Sunflower Markets, etc. It is a wonderful little paper full of good information !! :) If you click on the link above you will be able to read the paper.
Rosemarie H., thank you soooo much for the absolutely gorgeous orchid plant you gave to me after I got "Belled" !! :) It is now on my dining room table close to the picture of my son Scott, who crossed over into the Spirit World in 1999. I always have flowers for him & now he also has your beautiful orchid gracing his photo. More tears of joy. :) Rosemarie, you blew me away with your loving & kind gestures, which also included a bunch of tortillas for this coming weekends Tortilla Soup for the homeless. Thank you also for the boxes of mints & the Maple Leaf Cream Cookies, which per you represent the season of fall. :) The people in the parks will love them all, except for a few of the Raspberry Mints, which I sampled. ;) Had to make sure they were good. ;) Ha, ha !! :) I love anything raspberry. :)
Jen, thank you with all my heart for helping me cook last weekend !! :) You are a huge help & I soooo appreciate you !! :) We cooked 16 lbs. of elbow macaroni & 20 lbs. of ground beef, used more than 30 cans of tomato soup & 6 lbs. of fresh mushrooms. And then there were 7 huge cans of green beans with 2 lbs. of bacon.
Katherine K., my dear friend, thank you for your kind & loving support today & for giving me your special check for food for the people in the city parks !! :) Once more it came at the nick of time to help with the Tortilla Soup this weekend. I soooo love you & am always excited to spend time with you, especially when we are creating jewelry together, which is always play to me. :)
Another big thank you goes to Judy B., who so dearly ask everyone to bring blankets or comforters to her own birthday party to give to the homeless. How sweet & caring is that ??!! :) Judy ended up with 10 blankets, which Jessie then distributed to the people in the parks. :)
It is going on 3:00 AM & I am bushed. So once more ...... Good Night everyone & sleep with the Angels tonight !! :)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Broccoli & Cauliflower, and Chai Spice Sugar Cookies
On Saturday we fed 41 people in the parks & on Monday it was 47. :) The total fed is 2,120. :o
Jessie & I went to Santa Rita Park & afterwards to Estevan Park for the second time on Saturday & the third time on Monday, which is now a regular stop. When I got to Estevan Park, many homeless people were sitting on the curb lined up like birds on a wire. :) As I drove up I rolled down my window & asked if they were waiting for me & in unison they all said "Yes we are". I am no longer going to DeAnza Park as a lot of the homeless are making their way over to Estevan Park, which is just a city block over to the west, off Main Street, just south of Speedway. The people there are getting to know my dear helper Jessie & I & it is a nice feeling to see some of the same faces again. :) They are spreading the word, as each time we go there are more people waiting for us to feed.
One of the men over at Santa Rita Park had me almost lose it. He came over to get a plate of food & as he walked away he turned around & said "You always take such good care of us". He then continued to walk a few more steps, turned around again & said "I Love You". I had trouble keeping myself together, as he continued to walk away to eat. Moments like that are soooo precious & will forever stay in my Heart. :)
Gary, thank you soooo much for jumping right in & helping to cook last weekends meal. :) It was fun to share my kitchen with you !! I hope I didn't talk your ears off. :) It was great to have you load up the car with the heavy water & the even heavier pots filled with food. That part is getting harder & harder for me on my knee & my arms too. I am 67 years old & at times like that I do feel my age, even though most of the time I feel like so much younger. :)
Jessie, thank you again for helping to serve the food & for being my buddy in this adventure. :) It is fun to see how much you enjoy doing this & how the homeless people are responding to your kindness !!
Thank you for all the blankets you, Jessie, & Dede S. rounded up for the people in the parks. We still need many more & sleeping bags too, if anyone is interested in helping out in that way. :)
Thank you Dede also for your donation to the Homeless Food Fund. :) It was so needed.
Also a great big Thank You goes to you my special friend Mary Helen for your continued donations, which help so very much each month. :) I Love You !!
Dear Buck of Sugar Pies thank you for all the really tasteful Chai Spice Sugar Cookies you baked for the homeless. They were really delicious tasting with the spices you put into them & of course all your Love too !! :) The recipe for these is on Buck's blog, just click on the link above. :)
Rachel, thank you for your check, you are an Angel too !! :) I Love You lots too !!
Stephen R., you amaze me with your donations every month & your kind support in that way !! :) Thank You !!
Good Night everyone & Sweet Dreams to you all !!
Jessie & I went to Santa Rita Park & afterwards to Estevan Park for the second time on Saturday & the third time on Monday, which is now a regular stop. When I got to Estevan Park, many homeless people were sitting on the curb lined up like birds on a wire. :) As I drove up I rolled down my window & asked if they were waiting for me & in unison they all said "Yes we are". I am no longer going to DeAnza Park as a lot of the homeless are making their way over to Estevan Park, which is just a city block over to the west, off Main Street, just south of Speedway. The people there are getting to know my dear helper Jessie & I & it is a nice feeling to see some of the same faces again. :) They are spreading the word, as each time we go there are more people waiting for us to feed.
One of the men over at Santa Rita Park had me almost lose it. He came over to get a plate of food & as he walked away he turned around & said "You always take such good care of us". He then continued to walk a few more steps, turned around again & said "I Love You". I had trouble keeping myself together, as he continued to walk away to eat. Moments like that are soooo precious & will forever stay in my Heart. :)
Gary, thank you soooo much for jumping right in & helping to cook last weekends meal. :) It was fun to share my kitchen with you !! I hope I didn't talk your ears off. :) It was great to have you load up the car with the heavy water & the even heavier pots filled with food. That part is getting harder & harder for me on my knee & my arms too. I am 67 years old & at times like that I do feel my age, even though most of the time I feel like so much younger. :)
Jessie, thank you again for helping to serve the food & for being my buddy in this adventure. :) It is fun to see how much you enjoy doing this & how the homeless people are responding to your kindness !!
Thank you for all the blankets you, Jessie, & Dede S. rounded up for the people in the parks. We still need many more & sleeping bags too, if anyone is interested in helping out in that way. :)
Thank you Dede also for your donation to the Homeless Food Fund. :) It was so needed.
Also a great big Thank You goes to you my special friend Mary Helen for your continued donations, which help so very much each month. :) I Love You !!
Dear Buck of Sugar Pies thank you for all the really tasteful Chai Spice Sugar Cookies you baked for the homeless. They were really delicious tasting with the spices you put into them & of course all your Love too !! :) The recipe for these is on Buck's blog, just click on the link above. :)
Rachel, thank you for your check, you are an Angel too !! :) I Love You lots too !!
Stephen R., you amaze me with your donations every month & your kind support in that way !! :) Thank You !!
Good Night everyone & Sweet Dreams to you all !!
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