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
Feeding the Homeless People in the City Parks of Tucson, Arizona.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
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 !!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Shredded Beef, Rice, Refried Beans, Corn Tortillas, Candy Corn Cookies
Armed with 30 lbs. of Mexican style shredded beef, a huge amount of refried beans & an even bigger amount of rice we fed 42 people on Saturday & on Monday the biggest number ever of 59 people. The weekend ended up with 101 people fed, a record so far, for a total of 2032. :) Wow !! :)
It was amazing to see all the people lined up for hot food, especially at Santa Rita Park. Later on we also ended up at Estevan Park for the first time, which is near DeAnza Park, around Main Street & Speedway, to feed some more people there. :) I had a few blankets in my car & they were taken away pretty quickly. I can always use a lot more to hand out, as it is getting colder during the nights here now.
Jen Y., thank you for helping me cook all that food & for helping me with all the seasoning of the meat & with putting so much of your Love into it too. I love cooking with you, we are a great team. :) I enjoy & treasure the Friendship we are developing. :) And Bobbie Y., thank you for helping me along with advise on the buying & cooking of the meat. It was my first time ever making shredded beef. My expertise is in German food, but I am learning to cook Mexican food too & I love eating it as often as possible. Not so much the beans though, but everything else is awesome. :) My Tortilla Soup is always a big hit in the parks & with my friends too. I make a pretty good Mexican Cheese Soup too & actually have been craving it myself a lot lately, since the weather is cooling off some now.
Jessie M. thank you serving all that food on Saturday & on Monday too. Rosemarie H., it was great to meet you & I am grateful too for your help with dishing out the food on Monday. It is wonderful to get to know you both, you definitely are to each other what I call "Sisters of the Heart". :) Often we are closer to our heart family than we are to our birth family. Welcome to my Feeding the Homeless Family. :)
Rosemarie you blew me away with all the food, plates & forks you donated !! I am still in awe. You are incredible & I am so grateful for your caring heart for the homeless people !! :) It all is so much needed, especially with the large amount of people we are now feeding. Word is getting around with the homeless about the real food that is available on Saturdays & Mondays.
Since I am still within my first year of doing this, I don't quite know the trends yet. Everything is always so unpredictable still. Right now it looks like there will be more people in the winter time since our weather is so good here & we hardly ever get snow. I did realize that we always feed more people on Mondays than on Saturdays. Occasionally other people will take food to the city parks & it is often on Saturdays, so by the time I get there everyone has eaten already, which is great !! :)
Thank you T-bird for sending money for gasoline, which is always welcome & much needed too. :) I do a lot of driving to & from the different parks & to buy all the groceries every week. I always look for the biggest bargains & the best deals around. :)
Charlotte, from Amber Lights Retirement Home, thank you for your precious check !! :) It all helps so much. I was able to buy lots of cauliflower & fresh mushrooms for this coming weekends meals. Today someone in the grocery store stopped me to find out what I was going to do with all those mushrooms.
so I told him & it looks like he & his 13 year old son will help out in some way. :) As I mentioned before in this blog, I love it when the young ones are taught early to give back & to share. Todd N., you are a great Dad !! :)
Holly T., Vicki L., and Magdalena S., a thank you goes out to each of you also for chipping into the Homeless Food Fund. :) You are very much appreciated !! :)
Thank you Buck of Sugar Pies for all the Candy Corn Cookies you baked for everyone in the parks. They looked really fun & everyone oohed & aahed over them. :) You can find the recipe on Buck's blog.
My prayer is that all of you receive many, many Blessings for your sharing & caring for the people in our city parks !! :) I always hear many "God Bless Yous" when handing out the food & water & I want to share that with each & everyone of you !! Together we are making a difference in people's lives. :)
With a full heart I will go to sleep now, it is almost 2:30 AM, so I can wake up rested & cook about 15 or so pounds of spaghetti pasta & huge pots of spaghetti sauce later on today. :)
Good night now !! Everyone, sleep with the Angels tonight !! :)
It was amazing to see all the people lined up for hot food, especially at Santa Rita Park. Later on we also ended up at Estevan Park for the first time, which is near DeAnza Park, around Main Street & Speedway, to feed some more people there. :) I had a few blankets in my car & they were taken away pretty quickly. I can always use a lot more to hand out, as it is getting colder during the nights here now.
Jen Y., thank you for helping me cook all that food & for helping me with all the seasoning of the meat & with putting so much of your Love into it too. I love cooking with you, we are a great team. :) I enjoy & treasure the Friendship we are developing. :) And Bobbie Y., thank you for helping me along with advise on the buying & cooking of the meat. It was my first time ever making shredded beef. My expertise is in German food, but I am learning to cook Mexican food too & I love eating it as often as possible. Not so much the beans though, but everything else is awesome. :) My Tortilla Soup is always a big hit in the parks & with my friends too. I make a pretty good Mexican Cheese Soup too & actually have been craving it myself a lot lately, since the weather is cooling off some now.
Jessie M. thank you serving all that food on Saturday & on Monday too. Rosemarie H., it was great to meet you & I am grateful too for your help with dishing out the food on Monday. It is wonderful to get to know you both, you definitely are to each other what I call "Sisters of the Heart". :) Often we are closer to our heart family than we are to our birth family. Welcome to my Feeding the Homeless Family. :)
Rosemarie you blew me away with all the food, plates & forks you donated !! I am still in awe. You are incredible & I am so grateful for your caring heart for the homeless people !! :) It all is so much needed, especially with the large amount of people we are now feeding. Word is getting around with the homeless about the real food that is available on Saturdays & Mondays.
Since I am still within my first year of doing this, I don't quite know the trends yet. Everything is always so unpredictable still. Right now it looks like there will be more people in the winter time since our weather is so good here & we hardly ever get snow. I did realize that we always feed more people on Mondays than on Saturdays. Occasionally other people will take food to the city parks & it is often on Saturdays, so by the time I get there everyone has eaten already, which is great !! :)
Thank you T-bird for sending money for gasoline, which is always welcome & much needed too. :) I do a lot of driving to & from the different parks & to buy all the groceries every week. I always look for the biggest bargains & the best deals around. :)
Charlotte, from Amber Lights Retirement Home, thank you for your precious check !! :) It all helps so much. I was able to buy lots of cauliflower & fresh mushrooms for this coming weekends meals. Today someone in the grocery store stopped me to find out what I was going to do with all those mushrooms.
so I told him & it looks like he & his 13 year old son will help out in some way. :) As I mentioned before in this blog, I love it when the young ones are taught early to give back & to share. Todd N., you are a great Dad !! :)
Holly T., Vicki L., and Magdalena S., a thank you goes out to each of you also for chipping into the Homeless Food Fund. :) You are very much appreciated !! :)
Thank you Buck of Sugar Pies for all the Candy Corn Cookies you baked for everyone in the parks. They looked really fun & everyone oohed & aahed over them. :) You can find the recipe on Buck's blog.
My prayer is that all of you receive many, many Blessings for your sharing & caring for the people in our city parks !! :) I always hear many "God Bless Yous" when handing out the food & water & I want to share that with each & everyone of you !! Together we are making a difference in people's lives. :)
With a full heart I will go to sleep now, it is almost 2:30 AM, so I can wake up rested & cook about 15 or so pounds of spaghetti pasta & huge pots of spaghetti sauce later on today. :)
Good night now !! Everyone, sleep with the Angels tonight !! :)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Chili, Corn Muffins & Crybaby Cookies
Running somewhat behind this week. :o Served this weekends meal today & haven't even blogged about last weeks meal yet. So here it goes for last weekend ....................
Made three huge pots of Chili for everyone in the parks & dear Buck from Sugar Pies made corn muffins for everyone to go with it & he also baked some really wonderful cookies, which are called Crybaby Cookies, because they would make children stop crying. :) I love those cookies & must confess that I ate more than the usual one. :o The recipes are on Buck's blog. Just click on the link above & it will get you to his blog. Thank you Buck for always making such wonderful treats. You are The Best & I am one of your biggest fans, besides Michael of course !! :)
Thank you Jen Y. for all your caring help cooking with me last Saturday & for putting so much Love into the Chili. :) It was so good because it had both of our Love stirred into it. The Chili was a great big hit with all the people in the park. On Monday there were 44 people at Santa Rita park waiting for the food, because word had gotten around about the good Chili. On Saturday we only fed 28 people. On Monday I ran out of food at the first park & only had crackers, blueberry muffins & water left for the second park, DeAnza Park. I felt really bad to have run out of food after just one park, it was the first time this ever happened. And I had a lot of Chili to start with. So I will cook Chili again soon, since it was such a success. :) It is getting colder here now towards dinner time, so it is nice to bring comfort food again for the homeless. I got kind of tired of making all those cold pasta or potato salads every weekend. It's like wanting to wear warm clothes again around here after our long hot summers. :)
Jennifer R. thank you for stopping by on Monday & helping dish out the food & for your support in being there with us !! :) I always enjoy when you show up at the park, even though you are very busy. :)
Sean & Brandie S. thank you for bringing over some blankets for the homeless & for caring so much about these people. :) I am so grateful that I "accidentally" met you at the bank the other day & that you eavesdropped my conversation with a friend there. :)
The homeless still need lots of blankets & sleeping bags, since it is getting colder now during the nights.
Used ones are great, but I am grateful if they are clean, so I can just take them there. :)
Thank you Gary Mc...., your donation saved the day !! :) I only had $2.20 left in the Homeless Food Fund & wondered how I was going to feed all the people this coming weekend on that. Now I have $22.20 & everything looks a little brighter. :) Every penny helps & altogether it adds up. :) Gary, I'm glad to know that you read my blog & that I can thank you this way, which is very important to me. :) I like it when the homeless people acknowledge what we do for them & I like to do the same for everyone who lovingly helps out with this whole heart project. I am "paying forward" the gratitude to everyone that way. :) These people are always so grateful for the food, the sweet treats & the water & I hear many "God Bless Yous" every time I go. :)
Jan, a writer for "The New Southwest" newspaper (formerly called the "Tucson Green Times") came over last week to interview me for a story in the upcoming November 15th issue. I feel very honored to be in this wonderful & free newspaper. It is all over Tucson & if you have a chance, please pick one up & find out for yourself how great & educational about the environment this paper is. :)
Have a wonderful week everyone & be safe & happy !! :)
Made three huge pots of Chili for everyone in the parks & dear Buck from Sugar Pies made corn muffins for everyone to go with it & he also baked some really wonderful cookies, which are called Crybaby Cookies, because they would make children stop crying. :) I love those cookies & must confess that I ate more than the usual one. :o The recipes are on Buck's blog. Just click on the link above & it will get you to his blog. Thank you Buck for always making such wonderful treats. You are The Best & I am one of your biggest fans, besides Michael of course !! :)
Thank you Jen Y. for all your caring help cooking with me last Saturday & for putting so much Love into the Chili. :) It was so good because it had both of our Love stirred into it. The Chili was a great big hit with all the people in the park. On Monday there were 44 people at Santa Rita park waiting for the food, because word had gotten around about the good Chili. On Saturday we only fed 28 people. On Monday I ran out of food at the first park & only had crackers, blueberry muffins & water left for the second park, DeAnza Park. I felt really bad to have run out of food after just one park, it was the first time this ever happened. And I had a lot of Chili to start with. So I will cook Chili again soon, since it was such a success. :) It is getting colder here now towards dinner time, so it is nice to bring comfort food again for the homeless. I got kind of tired of making all those cold pasta or potato salads every weekend. It's like wanting to wear warm clothes again around here after our long hot summers. :)
Jennifer R. thank you for stopping by on Monday & helping dish out the food & for your support in being there with us !! :) I always enjoy when you show up at the park, even though you are very busy. :)
Sean & Brandie S. thank you for bringing over some blankets for the homeless & for caring so much about these people. :) I am so grateful that I "accidentally" met you at the bank the other day & that you eavesdropped my conversation with a friend there. :)
The homeless still need lots of blankets & sleeping bags, since it is getting colder now during the nights.
Used ones are great, but I am grateful if they are clean, so I can just take them there. :)
Thank you Gary Mc...., your donation saved the day !! :) I only had $2.20 left in the Homeless Food Fund & wondered how I was going to feed all the people this coming weekend on that. Now I have $22.20 & everything looks a little brighter. :) Every penny helps & altogether it adds up. :) Gary, I'm glad to know that you read my blog & that I can thank you this way, which is very important to me. :) I like it when the homeless people acknowledge what we do for them & I like to do the same for everyone who lovingly helps out with this whole heart project. I am "paying forward" the gratitude to everyone that way. :) These people are always so grateful for the food, the sweet treats & the water & I hear many "God Bless Yous" every time I go. :)
Jan, a writer for "The New Southwest" newspaper (formerly called the "Tucson Green Times") came over last week to interview me for a story in the upcoming November 15th issue. I feel very honored to be in this wonderful & free newspaper. It is all over Tucson & if you have a chance, please pick one up & find out for yourself how great & educational about the environment this paper is. :)
Have a wonderful week everyone & be safe & happy !! :)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tuna Pasta Salad with Peas, Apple Cider Cake & Dixie Cream Cookies
My computer keeps booting me off today, so I hope that I am able to finish the whole blog today for this past weekend. I am running late this week to start with, it has been quite busy around here.
Jen Y. helped me cook last Saturday & we ended up cooking 14 lbs. of pasta, along with 36 eggs, chopped 2 huge jars of pickles & added a whole slew of cans of green peas. We ran out of mayonnaise & had to run & get more, which Jen volunteered to do. :) When she came back from Walmart with the mayonnaise she had also purchased a Gift Card for the Homeless Fund. :)
Earlier last week I ended up buying a very big 14 quart stainless steel pot with a solid bottom that wouldn't burn the pasta that was cooking in water even. I felt really guilty about spending the money from the Homeless Fund, but also kept thinking about how I needed another pot just like it. Jen knew this. And I could use a third one actually. Plus we struggled with the cheap can opener I had which just didn't want to open all those green pea cans. When I discovered the Gift Card I started crying & Jen told me to go & get the other pot & a can opener & not feel guilty anymore. How sweet is that ??!! :) I went to Walmart right after Jen left & grabbed that other pot & a good can opener. We will be testing it tomorrow when we need to open 16 great big cans of kidney beans for this coming weekends American Chili meals.
Thank you Jen, you touched me so deeply with your kindness & your incredible generosity !! You are awesome !! :)
Dearest Buck brought over a whole Apple Cider Cake & 86 Dixie Cream Cookies for the Homeless to enjoy & enjoying they did & of course I had to sample them too. ;) Ahhhhh, they were totally delicious, as all of Buck's treats are !! :) For all the delicious recipes please go to Buck's Sugar Pies blog.
Buck also donated a whole bunch of Granola Bars for the Homeless. Thank you Buck !! :)
My special friends Brian & Maggie donated three huge boxes of Minute Rice, two jars of Spaghetti Sauce, cooking Oil, & two blankets. :) Thank you my dear & sweet Friends !! :)
Laurel sent a check for the bottled water for another month & whatever is left over I use to pay for the gas to go back & forth to the parks & for all the grocery store trips every week. Thank you my very special Laurel !! :) You are soooo appreciated & I Love You So !!
Dave & Linda M. donated some blankets for the homeless & a good portion of the food for this coming weekend. Thank you with all my Heart you two for your unending support & for being so genuine !! :)
I feel honored to be your Friend !! :)
A.W. sent a donation check & I appreciate your caring support with this project. I used a lot of it already to buy the ingredients for last weeks meal. Thank you soooo much !! :)
Now to some sad news. In an earlier blog I talked about the old black man who used to live in his old white Cadillac in the parking lot of the Santa Rita Park. Some of you might remember, he had edema & his feet & legs were about three or four times as big as normal & I would always take the food to him, so he wouldn't have to leave his car. I just learned that he died about two weeks after his family all chipped in & got him a small apartment to get him out of the heat of this summer. He once told me that his job once upon a time was to find homes for the homeless. Have fun on the Other Side & watch over all your buddies in the parks !! :)
The total homeless people fed so far is 1,859 in less than 9 months. :)
Jen Y. helped me cook last Saturday & we ended up cooking 14 lbs. of pasta, along with 36 eggs, chopped 2 huge jars of pickles & added a whole slew of cans of green peas. We ran out of mayonnaise & had to run & get more, which Jen volunteered to do. :) When she came back from Walmart with the mayonnaise she had also purchased a Gift Card for the Homeless Fund. :)
Earlier last week I ended up buying a very big 14 quart stainless steel pot with a solid bottom that wouldn't burn the pasta that was cooking in water even. I felt really guilty about spending the money from the Homeless Fund, but also kept thinking about how I needed another pot just like it. Jen knew this. And I could use a third one actually. Plus we struggled with the cheap can opener I had which just didn't want to open all those green pea cans. When I discovered the Gift Card I started crying & Jen told me to go & get the other pot & a can opener & not feel guilty anymore. How sweet is that ??!! :) I went to Walmart right after Jen left & grabbed that other pot & a good can opener. We will be testing it tomorrow when we need to open 16 great big cans of kidney beans for this coming weekends American Chili meals.
Thank you Jen, you touched me so deeply with your kindness & your incredible generosity !! You are awesome !! :)
Dearest Buck brought over a whole Apple Cider Cake & 86 Dixie Cream Cookies for the Homeless to enjoy & enjoying they did & of course I had to sample them too. ;) Ahhhhh, they were totally delicious, as all of Buck's treats are !! :) For all the delicious recipes please go to Buck's Sugar Pies blog.
Buck also donated a whole bunch of Granola Bars for the Homeless. Thank you Buck !! :)
My special friends Brian & Maggie donated three huge boxes of Minute Rice, two jars of Spaghetti Sauce, cooking Oil, & two blankets. :) Thank you my dear & sweet Friends !! :)
Laurel sent a check for the bottled water for another month & whatever is left over I use to pay for the gas to go back & forth to the parks & for all the grocery store trips every week. Thank you my very special Laurel !! :) You are soooo appreciated & I Love You So !!
Dave & Linda M. donated some blankets for the homeless & a good portion of the food for this coming weekend. Thank you with all my Heart you two for your unending support & for being so genuine !! :)
I feel honored to be your Friend !! :)
A.W. sent a donation check & I appreciate your caring support with this project. I used a lot of it already to buy the ingredients for last weeks meal. Thank you soooo much !! :)
Now to some sad news. In an earlier blog I talked about the old black man who used to live in his old white Cadillac in the parking lot of the Santa Rita Park. Some of you might remember, he had edema & his feet & legs were about three or four times as big as normal & I would always take the food to him, so he wouldn't have to leave his car. I just learned that he died about two weeks after his family all chipped in & got him a small apartment to get him out of the heat of this summer. He once told me that his job once upon a time was to find homes for the homeless. Have fun on the Other Side & watch over all your buddies in the parks !! :)
The total homeless people fed so far is 1,859 in less than 9 months. :)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Cheeseburger Stoup & Tortillas
On Saturday we didn't feed very many people. It was raining so heavily all over Tucson, that most of the homeless people were seeking out dry places to shelter under. The grass was utterly soaked with rain. There were only 16 people at Santa Rita Park & not one soul at the DeAnza Park.
I was really disappointed, as Jennifer & I had cooked a lot of extra Cheeseburger Stoup (a combination of Soup & Stew) after all the requests I had received for it. It all worked out great though as there were 43 people on Monday & the stoup was all eaten up. :) There was just a little bit left over & Carlos got to take it home for left-overs. :)
Thank you for coming over Jennifer R. & cooking with me for almost 4 hours, even though you really didn't feel good !! :) You are such a trooper & I soooo appreciate your "showing up" & helping out anyway !! :)
Carlos, thank you for coming all the way down to the park now to help me serve & to watch over me every time we feed everyone !! :) I am so glad that you have a roof over your head now !! :) Hopefully it will be permanent !!
Thank you Stephen R. for another kind donation !! :) The homeless & I are very grateful for your continues support !! :)
And thank you also my dear friend Mary Helen for your check !! :) You & Stephen R. are making a difference every month & I couldn't do this without your caring help !! :)
Very much thanks also go to my special heart-sister Gerda B. in Switzerland for your dear donation !! :)
You are wonderful !! :)
Kathy & Larry O. a big shout-out goes to you two for providing a lot of the ingredients for the next meal !! Your thoughtfulness is wonderful & it is amazing how far you had to drive to bring your previous food donation to me. You are very caring & much appreciated !! :)
This rounds up another week & the next Meal in the Parks is just around the corner once more. :)
I was really disappointed, as Jennifer & I had cooked a lot of extra Cheeseburger Stoup (a combination of Soup & Stew) after all the requests I had received for it. It all worked out great though as there were 43 people on Monday & the stoup was all eaten up. :) There was just a little bit left over & Carlos got to take it home for left-overs. :)
Thank you for coming over Jennifer R. & cooking with me for almost 4 hours, even though you really didn't feel good !! :) You are such a trooper & I soooo appreciate your "showing up" & helping out anyway !! :)
Carlos, thank you for coming all the way down to the park now to help me serve & to watch over me every time we feed everyone !! :) I am so glad that you have a roof over your head now !! :) Hopefully it will be permanent !!
Thank you Stephen R. for another kind donation !! :) The homeless & I are very grateful for your continues support !! :)
And thank you also my dear friend Mary Helen for your check !! :) You & Stephen R. are making a difference every month & I couldn't do this without your caring help !! :)
Very much thanks also go to my special heart-sister Gerda B. in Switzerland for your dear donation !! :)
You are wonderful !! :)
Kathy & Larry O. a big shout-out goes to you two for providing a lot of the ingredients for the next meal !! Your thoughtfulness is wonderful & it is amazing how far you had to drive to bring your previous food donation to me. You are very caring & much appreciated !! :)
This rounds up another week & the next Meal in the Parks is just around the corner once more. :)
Friday, October 1, 2010
Sausage & Vegetable Stoup, Cantaloupe, Amish Church Cookies
This week has been more busy than usual for me as it is my 67th birthday week. It was wonderful to be taken out to dinner a few times by some of my dear friends. :) Now that I am cooking so much for the Homeless, I don't want to cook for myself so much anymore & it feels good to be spoiled by other's cooking. :) I got to go to two of my favorite restaurants & last Sunday to the Arizona Inn for Brunch, which was soooo elegant & the food was ever so good too. :)
We feed only 30 people on Saturday, as some organizations pulled together & cooked steaks for the Homeless at Santa Rita Park. That is exciting & the people loved to get freshly barbecued steaks for a change. :) On Monday though we fed 44 people. Buck has added the running total for everyone to see on my blog in the upper right corner. We are at 1,734 as of last weekend. :o
There is still a need for blankets & sleeping bags for the Homeless, but we don't need any pillows, as I learned that they use the blankets rolled up as pillows. Thank you so much Sue & Bob B. for donating the two blankets & the two pillows !! :) Also for your cash donation for the food !! You are wonderful & much appreciated !! :)
Buck, your cookies were soooo good, as usual !! Thank you Dear !! :)
On Saturday some of the people came over & said that they were full of steak but wondered if they "could have a cookie anyway please". :) I thought you would enjoy knowing this. The orange & cream cheese frosting was so great & the cookies actually were more like a cake, so soft & moist. I am rooting for you to be the Grand Winner in the Food Blogging Contest !! :) You soooo deserve it, my special Friend !! To read the very interesting & fun story of Amish Church Cookies please go to Buck's blog http://www.sugarpiesfood.com/.
Will Ferguson, who took the photo for the article on me in the Tucson Weekly paper came over on Saturday to help me cook. He chopped up 12 lbs. of Kielbasa sausage, which was quite a job. :) He couldn't wait to tell his Mom that he was helping out with the cooking, which is very new for Will. He goes to the University of Arizona & he also works for the Arizona Daily Star newspaper now. Will interviewed me while we were cooking for a project that he wants to present to the Arizona Daily Star. The kitchen is always a great time for telling life stories or current ones too. :)
My friend Christina C. in Maine had this idea of me contacting some farms to get fresh fruit & vegetables donated. She only found one farm in this area, in the town of Catalina & sent me the information. I called them, but they told me that they already donate to some organizations like the Food Bank, Salvation Army, etc. It was a great idea Christina !! :)
I have to be careful with the fruit I take to the Homeless, many don't have teeth, so for instance apples are not good at all. I have been taking fruit salads that I make, like the cantaloupe this week, or fresh cucumbers & tomatoes. Things that are easy to chew.
Bill Y. met me at Costco today & paid for some of the ingredients for next weeks meals. Thank you Bill, that was really kind of you & I pray that the Blessings will come back to you many fold !!
Gary Mc. sent some money in the mail & I always so appreciate you doing that !! Every little bit helps & it adds up to make a whole. Gary, I hope that you are reading this blog, as it is the only way I can communicate with you. It seems like you want to stay anonymous.
And, oh my goodness, Hugh & Polly M., from Amber Light Retirement Community, thank you soooo much for your generous check that came through your Terri earlier this week !! :) You touched me deeply & again I was crying, just like when I was up there with you all giving my talk about Feeding the Homeless. Hugh, keep smiling, you spread a lot of sunshine all around with that smile of yours !! :)
Thank you all for walking this path with me & supporting my dream of no more hunger in Tucson's City Parks. :) I am very, very grateful to you all !! :)
We feed only 30 people on Saturday, as some organizations pulled together & cooked steaks for the Homeless at Santa Rita Park. That is exciting & the people loved to get freshly barbecued steaks for a change. :) On Monday though we fed 44 people. Buck has added the running total for everyone to see on my blog in the upper right corner. We are at 1,734 as of last weekend. :o
There is still a need for blankets & sleeping bags for the Homeless, but we don't need any pillows, as I learned that they use the blankets rolled up as pillows. Thank you so much Sue & Bob B. for donating the two blankets & the two pillows !! :) Also for your cash donation for the food !! You are wonderful & much appreciated !! :)
Buck, your cookies were soooo good, as usual !! Thank you Dear !! :)
On Saturday some of the people came over & said that they were full of steak but wondered if they "could have a cookie anyway please". :) I thought you would enjoy knowing this. The orange & cream cheese frosting was so great & the cookies actually were more like a cake, so soft & moist. I am rooting for you to be the Grand Winner in the Food Blogging Contest !! :) You soooo deserve it, my special Friend !! To read the very interesting & fun story of Amish Church Cookies please go to Buck's blog http://www.sugarpiesfood.com/.
Will Ferguson, who took the photo for the article on me in the Tucson Weekly paper came over on Saturday to help me cook. He chopped up 12 lbs. of Kielbasa sausage, which was quite a job. :) He couldn't wait to tell his Mom that he was helping out with the cooking, which is very new for Will. He goes to the University of Arizona & he also works for the Arizona Daily Star newspaper now. Will interviewed me while we were cooking for a project that he wants to present to the Arizona Daily Star. The kitchen is always a great time for telling life stories or current ones too. :)
My friend Christina C. in Maine had this idea of me contacting some farms to get fresh fruit & vegetables donated. She only found one farm in this area, in the town of Catalina & sent me the information. I called them, but they told me that they already donate to some organizations like the Food Bank, Salvation Army, etc. It was a great idea Christina !! :)
I have to be careful with the fruit I take to the Homeless, many don't have teeth, so for instance apples are not good at all. I have been taking fruit salads that I make, like the cantaloupe this week, or fresh cucumbers & tomatoes. Things that are easy to chew.
Bill Y. met me at Costco today & paid for some of the ingredients for next weeks meals. Thank you Bill, that was really kind of you & I pray that the Blessings will come back to you many fold !!
Gary Mc. sent some money in the mail & I always so appreciate you doing that !! Every little bit helps & it adds up to make a whole. Gary, I hope that you are reading this blog, as it is the only way I can communicate with you. It seems like you want to stay anonymous.
And, oh my goodness, Hugh & Polly M., from Amber Light Retirement Community, thank you soooo much for your generous check that came through your Terri earlier this week !! :) You touched me deeply & again I was crying, just like when I was up there with you all giving my talk about Feeding the Homeless. Hugh, keep smiling, you spread a lot of sunshine all around with that smile of yours !! :)
Thank you all for walking this path with me & supporting my dream of no more hunger in Tucson's City Parks. :) I am very, very grateful to you all !! :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Blankets for the Homeless Needed
Three of my homeless people's blankets & sleeping bags were stolen a couple of days ago from their camp. :(
If anyone has extra blankets & sleeping bags to donate, please let me know & if possible drop them off at my home. :) Or you could meet me at the parks today or on Saturday. Some of these blankets are always used as pillows too by the homeless.
You can call me at (520)326-2236 from Noon until 10:00 PM.
Thank you for being there for these people !! :)
If anyone has extra blankets & sleeping bags to donate, please let me know & if possible drop them off at my home. :) Or you could meet me at the parks today or on Saturday. Some of these blankets are always used as pillows too by the homeless.
You can call me at (520)326-2236 from Noon until 10:00 PM.
Thank you for being there for these people !! :)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Spaghetti, Dinner Rolls, Cucumber Salad & Dinner Rolls
The most exciting news I have today is that Buck from Sugar Pies yesterday spent many hours sprucing up my blog & hooking it up to Facebook & Twitter.
Please check out the "new" blog & let me know what you think. It was really fun being creative together & so rewarding to see the end results. :) Thank you soooo much Buck !! :) Your Angel Wings are growing so. :)
Buck also hand-made 82 yeast dinner rolls to go with the Spaghetti dinner I made for the homeless people last weekend. Those rolls were so yummie & the guys in the parks just loved them :), although they normally don't want any more bread. People donate bread, like bologna sandwiches or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. I have heard so many times already that they love my cooking, because I bring real food, not soup or sandwiches. It's nice to be appreciated. :) I also made their favorite cucumber salad with the sweet & sour cream sauce. I still had a few of Buck's cookies left from last weekend, so some of the people got those too. :)
Jen Y. was going to help me cook, but she hurt her hand coring apples on Friday, so I was on my own cooking the whole meal (for 100 people) on Saturday. :o I was over an hour late getting to the parks & a lot of guys left for their "camps" where they spend the nights. We only fed 27 people on Saturday, but on Monday there were 45. :) They were waiting for me.
:)
Today I called Pima College's Culinary Arts Department to see if some of their students would want to volunteer helping me cook. I am hoping that the students would get credit for the time they'd spend cooking with me. :) I was told to send an email to the college, which I will do this weekend.
It was a pretty quiet week, except for all the new blog design excitement. :)
Please check out the "new" blog & let me know what you think. It was really fun being creative together & so rewarding to see the end results. :) Thank you soooo much Buck !! :) Your Angel Wings are growing so. :)
Buck also hand-made 82 yeast dinner rolls to go with the Spaghetti dinner I made for the homeless people last weekend. Those rolls were so yummie & the guys in the parks just loved them :), although they normally don't want any more bread. People donate bread, like bologna sandwiches or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. I have heard so many times already that they love my cooking, because I bring real food, not soup or sandwiches. It's nice to be appreciated. :) I also made their favorite cucumber salad with the sweet & sour cream sauce. I still had a few of Buck's cookies left from last weekend, so some of the people got those too. :)
Jen Y. was going to help me cook, but she hurt her hand coring apples on Friday, so I was on my own cooking the whole meal (for 100 people) on Saturday. :o I was over an hour late getting to the parks & a lot of guys left for their "camps" where they spend the nights. We only fed 27 people on Saturday, but on Monday there were 45. :) They were waiting for me.
:)
Today I called Pima College's Culinary Arts Department to see if some of their students would want to volunteer helping me cook. I am hoping that the students would get credit for the time they'd spend cooking with me. :) I was told to send an email to the college, which I will do this weekend.
It was a pretty quiet week, except for all the new blog design excitement. :)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tortilla Soup & Asst. Sweet Treats
Another eventful week, but let's start with last weekend. :)
Armed with 2 huge pot fulls of Tortilla "Stoup" (it's more like stew than soup), plus individual plastic baggies of tortilla chips I put together & a bunch of fresh, still warm sliced French bread I headed to the parks. On Saturday after feeding 36 people I ran out of soup. Thank God I had two more, although smaller pots at home for Monday, which I knew would not be enough. So on Sunday I bought more chicken, more zucchini, chicken broth & cilantro & started to stretch for Monday what I had left. I had plenty of salsa on hand. :) Monday we fed 35 people & the grand total stands now at 1,588. Drum roll please. :)
Buck from Sugar Pies brought over a variety of sweet treats on Thursday & of course I had to try out one each too. :) He made these incredible "Marzipan Bars" & I am still drooling over those today, just thinking about them. :) Buck also made some "Honey Bars" which were just as yummy :) & he brought over two containers of Spice Cookies called "Pepparkakor", one container for each day. :) What I love best about Buck's sweet treats are that they are not overly sweet & therefore one is able to taste all the ingredients, not just sugar. And you don't get that sugar overload. The recipes for all the above special treats are all on Buck's blog. :) Thank you soooo much Buck for sharing your Love with the homeless people. :)
You've been reading about Marci, my incredible cooking helper every weekend. :) She called me a few days ago to let me know that she fell & had dislocated her elbow. :o Her arm is in a sling now & she won't be able to help cook for a while. Both of us were quite sad, as we are a really great team in the kitchen. We always did this dance of cooking together. :) Please everyone pray for Marci to heal quickly, as she is going to college herself & also taking care of two exchange-students from China. She has a full schedule.
Armed with 2 huge pot fulls of Tortilla "Stoup" (it's more like stew than soup), plus individual plastic baggies of tortilla chips I put together & a bunch of fresh, still warm sliced French bread I headed to the parks. On Saturday after feeding 36 people I ran out of soup. Thank God I had two more, although smaller pots at home for Monday, which I knew would not be enough. So on Sunday I bought more chicken, more zucchini, chicken broth & cilantro & started to stretch for Monday what I had left. I had plenty of salsa on hand. :) Monday we fed 35 people & the grand total stands now at 1,588. Drum roll please. :)
 |
| Marzipan Bars from Sugar Pies |
You've been reading about Marci, my incredible cooking helper every weekend. :) She called me a few days ago to let me know that she fell & had dislocated her elbow. :o Her arm is in a sling now & she won't be able to help cook for a while. Both of us were quite sad, as we are a really great team in the kitchen. We always did this dance of cooking together. :) Please everyone pray for Marci to heal quickly, as she is going to college herself & also taking care of two exchange-students from China. She has a full schedule.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Ground Beef & Rice Burritos & Pin Wheel Cookies
Some organization had a big cook-out of hot dogs, hamburgers & chicken for the homeless at the DeAnza Park last Monday, Labor Day, so we only fed about three people there that day. Since I had lots of the rice dish left over I made burritos with the rice, went back on Wednesday & ended up feeding 107 people altogether during the three days. :o The total fed so far is 1,517 now. :o
After helping me cook three huge boxes of rice for hours, my dear "helping hands" Marci brought her two students fresh from China to Santa Rita Park last Saturday, to show both what Americans do to help each other. Both young men ate with us & looked like they enjoyed the rice. :) They weren't interested in the beans though, which are foreign to them. :) It was really nice to have these two young people with us !! :)
Jennifer R. cooked the big batch of beans & also donated a bunch of chopped up jalapenos to go with the rice dish. Thank you Jennifer, you are great !! :)
Buck baked some wonderful tasting Pin Wheel Cookies last weekend as the sweet treat for the people in the parks. With lots of Love he had put them in two containers, one for each day. And he also baked his Mom's Pound Cake with Lemon Frosting (yummmm) as a treat for Marci & I. Buck is the sweetest man I know !! :) Thank you soooo much Buck Dear !! :)
Speaking of Buck's cookies......... When Carlos & I first set up the back of my SUV each week with the food it always takes us a few minutes to get our flow going to serve it smoothly. Well, this past weekend I forgot to give some of the homeless their cookies along with their food. So I got asked a few times "where's my cookie ??" :) I got a big laugh out of that one. :) Buck, you are spoiling the people in the parks with your sweet treats of Love. :)
I met Bill, the man who called me last week, at DeAnza Park last Saturday & he realized that I am not a crook. Bill decided to meet me at CostCo in a week or so to buy some of the food that I will need for that weekends meals. :)
This is a shout-out to anyone who has a large (14 cup) Food Processor they would be open to donating to this cause. Marci & I are constantly chopping food to get the meals done & since we are cooking such huge quantities a large one would be really helpful. :) It would make things a bit easier & quicker for us.
Shane & Nicole H. from Sierra Vista saw the report about Feeding the Homeless on Channel 4 News last week & sent a wonderful donation to help out. It will feed the people for about 1 1/2 weeks. :) Thank you both, you made me cry tears of joy. :) Thank you also for your beautiful & thoughtful card !!
Thank you Jen Y. for meeting Carlos & I at the DeAnza Park & for your kind donation !! It was really fun to meet you !! :) Hope to see you again & maybe you can eat with us at the park one day. I am making my famous Tortilla Soup this weekend. ;)
Mary Helen, thank you once more for your on-going & caring donations to help out with the food costs. You are my biggest fan & I Love you so !! :)
Many Blessings to all of you for opening your Hearts to this cause. I pray that some day we won't have any more homeless people in this world !! :)
After helping me cook three huge boxes of rice for hours, my dear "helping hands" Marci brought her two students fresh from China to Santa Rita Park last Saturday, to show both what Americans do to help each other. Both young men ate with us & looked like they enjoyed the rice. :) They weren't interested in the beans though, which are foreign to them. :) It was really nice to have these two young people with us !! :)
Jennifer R. cooked the big batch of beans & also donated a bunch of chopped up jalapenos to go with the rice dish. Thank you Jennifer, you are great !! :)
Buck baked some wonderful tasting Pin Wheel Cookies last weekend as the sweet treat for the people in the parks. With lots of Love he had put them in two containers, one for each day. And he also baked his Mom's Pound Cake with Lemon Frosting (yummmm) as a treat for Marci & I. Buck is the sweetest man I know !! :) Thank you soooo much Buck Dear !! :)
Speaking of Buck's cookies......... When Carlos & I first set up the back of my SUV each week with the food it always takes us a few minutes to get our flow going to serve it smoothly. Well, this past weekend I forgot to give some of the homeless their cookies along with their food. So I got asked a few times "where's my cookie ??" :) I got a big laugh out of that one. :) Buck, you are spoiling the people in the parks with your sweet treats of Love. :)
I met Bill, the man who called me last week, at DeAnza Park last Saturday & he realized that I am not a crook. Bill decided to meet me at CostCo in a week or so to buy some of the food that I will need for that weekends meals. :)
This is a shout-out to anyone who has a large (14 cup) Food Processor they would be open to donating to this cause. Marci & I are constantly chopping food to get the meals done & since we are cooking such huge quantities a large one would be really helpful. :) It would make things a bit easier & quicker for us.
Shane & Nicole H. from Sierra Vista saw the report about Feeding the Homeless on Channel 4 News last week & sent a wonderful donation to help out. It will feed the people for about 1 1/2 weeks. :) Thank you both, you made me cry tears of joy. :) Thank you also for your beautiful & thoughtful card !!
Thank you Jen Y. for meeting Carlos & I at the DeAnza Park & for your kind donation !! It was really fun to meet you !! :) Hope to see you again & maybe you can eat with us at the park one day. I am making my famous Tortilla Soup this weekend. ;)
Mary Helen, thank you once more for your on-going & caring donations to help out with the food costs. You are my biggest fan & I Love you so !! :)
Many Blessings to all of you for opening your Hearts to this cause. I pray that some day we won't have any more homeless people in this world !! :)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Potato Salad with Ham & Double Frosting Brownies
Time to catch up on this & last weeks happenings before another weekend comes & goes & a very busy & great two weeks it has been. :)
This Monday Emily Guggenmos from Channel 4 News (NBC) came to the parks to report a segment on me & on Feeding the Homeless for their series called "Making A Difference". It showed on the 4:00 PM News on Tuesday & then again on the morning news the next day. Emily did a wonderful job, even though I was really nervous to be standing in front of a news camera. :) Thank you Emily for being patient with me !! :)
If you would like to watch the report, here is the link to click on:
http://www.KVOA.com/news/tucson-woman-making-a-difference-for-the-hungry/
I received a number of calls & a few donations so far from the news report. Thank you Lupita for your call shortly after the story aired & your very kind donation !! :) My friend Denise was at my house when you called & after you & I hung up, she was so excited & said "I am soooooooooo glad I was here to see this". It was a very precious moment. I even received a call from a former customer from my Rainbow Moods days of many years ago. How fun !! :)
And thank you Steve of Royal Automotive for your donation after you saw the News !! :) You are very much appreciated for your caring. I would like to ask everyone to support Steve, especially the women. He is very, very honest & will repair your vehicle without taking advantage of anyone. Here is the link to his garage http://royalautomotiveservice.com/ & his phone number is 628-1885. I have been taking my vehicle to Steve for years & I was referred to him by another woman.
Here is a funny story to share with you. :) On Wednesday I received a call from an older man who wanted to know how he could help out. I mentioned to him that donating food is great & so would a monetary donation be, which is easier for me, because then I can buy the foods I need for the coming weekends feeding. I don't have much room to store lots of food, since I do this out of my home. He said that "a donation would be fine, but there are so many crooks out there", so he "wants to meet me to make sure that I am not a "crook". :) He will be coming to the park this Saturday. If you look at the TV news report you will see that the hungry homeless people are lined up behind my car to get fed. You also see me handing out plates of food & then you see the people eating in the park, many sitting on the ground. So I got a big chuckle out of being told that I might be a crook. :) I look forward to meeting this man tomorrow. :)
Now to track back to last weekend. We fed 39 people on Saturday & 55 on Monday for a total of 94 altogether. That is the most I ever fed in one weekend. At one point I got really panicky because I realized that I didn't have enough food for everyone. I normally fed around 70 people each weekend. So this is growing bigger as we go along & I am preparing to cook extra for this coming weekend. So far the grand total fed is 1,410 people. :) Wow !!
I was so glad that Jennifer R. came both days to help Carlos & I dish out the food. She also brought a dish of chopped jalapenos for everyone to add to the potato salad with lots of chunks of ham in it that Marci & I made together. I also got creative & put together 10 lbs. of chopped tomatoes & a huge can of corn with a lemon-olive-oil dressing. The jalapenos mixed great in that too. :) Jennifer is planning on joining us whenever her jobs allows. I really enjoy her, she is a lot of fun to be around. :) She is definitely a Blessing.
And so is Buck from http://www.sugarpiesfood.com/ who made two huge sheets of Double Fudge Brownies with Praline Frosting, which were a huge success, as usual. :) Please take a peek at Buck's blog for some really incredible recipes & fun pointers. Buck has been such a positive support of Feeding the Homeless & I know that I always can count on him to donate sweet treats for the people in the parks. His treats are just soooooooooooo good !! :) I like to nibble on one each time too. :) The Brownie recipe is on his blog if you got the craving after reading this. :)
I would like to shout out a great big Thank You to Irina for donating a brand-new SaladShooter to the cause !! :) It was so helpful in chopping the 36 eggs & 2 big jars of pickles for the potato salad last weekend. :)
And I would like to send my Gratitude to Rachel R. for her thoughtful donation to help out with the increasing cost of the utilities from all the cooking.
Also to the dear lady with the three children at DeAnza Park last weekend, who told me she read about me in the Tucson Weekly & then squeezed a donation into my hand. I wish I had your name & email address, so I could thank you in that way.
Thank you also Steve R. for your second donation & for keeping your word on continuing to help out. :)
Thank you goes to Gary Mc.... for also helping out & your really dear words & your card was very pretty. :) If you are reading this, please send me your email address.
Liz G., thank you so much for your check & your caring !! :)
Thank you everyone for helping to make this possible & for opening your Hearts to the people in the parks who at least spend two less days being hungry. They are so grateful to you all for the wholesome & nurturing food we together are able to give them. Maybe as time goes we can add another day & another day after that. It is in God's hands.
Not too long ago there lived a Lakota Holy Man & Spiritual Leader by the name of Fools Crow who performed many Miracles & healed many people during his time long on earth. He always called himself a "Hollow Little Bone" for Creator to work through. He used to say that it was his job to keep his Hollow Little Bone clean, so Creator could use him each & every day. He had this exercise he did cleaning himself out each morning, taking out the bad & filling himself with the good. :)
All of us are Hollow Little Bones helping together to make this Feeding the Homeless project possible. Thank you soooo much each & everyone of you !! :)
This Monday Emily Guggenmos from Channel 4 News (NBC) came to the parks to report a segment on me & on Feeding the Homeless for their series called "Making A Difference". It showed on the 4:00 PM News on Tuesday & then again on the morning news the next day. Emily did a wonderful job, even though I was really nervous to be standing in front of a news camera. :) Thank you Emily for being patient with me !! :)
If you would like to watch the report, here is the link to click on:
http://www.KVOA.com/news/tucson-woman-making-a-difference-for-the-hungry/
I received a number of calls & a few donations so far from the news report. Thank you Lupita for your call shortly after the story aired & your very kind donation !! :) My friend Denise was at my house when you called & after you & I hung up, she was so excited & said "I am soooooooooo glad I was here to see this". It was a very precious moment. I even received a call from a former customer from my Rainbow Moods days of many years ago. How fun !! :)
And thank you Steve of Royal Automotive for your donation after you saw the News !! :) You are very much appreciated for your caring. I would like to ask everyone to support Steve, especially the women. He is very, very honest & will repair your vehicle without taking advantage of anyone. Here is the link to his garage http://royalautomotiveservice.com/ & his phone number is 628-1885. I have been taking my vehicle to Steve for years & I was referred to him by another woman.
Here is a funny story to share with you. :) On Wednesday I received a call from an older man who wanted to know how he could help out. I mentioned to him that donating food is great & so would a monetary donation be, which is easier for me, because then I can buy the foods I need for the coming weekends feeding. I don't have much room to store lots of food, since I do this out of my home. He said that "a donation would be fine, but there are so many crooks out there", so he "wants to meet me to make sure that I am not a "crook". :) He will be coming to the park this Saturday. If you look at the TV news report you will see that the hungry homeless people are lined up behind my car to get fed. You also see me handing out plates of food & then you see the people eating in the park, many sitting on the ground. So I got a big chuckle out of being told that I might be a crook. :) I look forward to meeting this man tomorrow. :)
Now to track back to last weekend. We fed 39 people on Saturday & 55 on Monday for a total of 94 altogether. That is the most I ever fed in one weekend. At one point I got really panicky because I realized that I didn't have enough food for everyone. I normally fed around 70 people each weekend. So this is growing bigger as we go along & I am preparing to cook extra for this coming weekend. So far the grand total fed is 1,410 people. :) Wow !!
I was so glad that Jennifer R. came both days to help Carlos & I dish out the food. She also brought a dish of chopped jalapenos for everyone to add to the potato salad with lots of chunks of ham in it that Marci & I made together. I also got creative & put together 10 lbs. of chopped tomatoes & a huge can of corn with a lemon-olive-oil dressing. The jalapenos mixed great in that too. :) Jennifer is planning on joining us whenever her jobs allows. I really enjoy her, she is a lot of fun to be around. :) She is definitely a Blessing.
And so is Buck from http://www.sugarpiesfood.com/ who made two huge sheets of Double Fudge Brownies with Praline Frosting, which were a huge success, as usual. :) Please take a peek at Buck's blog for some really incredible recipes & fun pointers. Buck has been such a positive support of Feeding the Homeless & I know that I always can count on him to donate sweet treats for the people in the parks. His treats are just soooooooooooo good !! :) I like to nibble on one each time too. :) The Brownie recipe is on his blog if you got the craving after reading this. :)
I would like to shout out a great big Thank You to Irina for donating a brand-new SaladShooter to the cause !! :) It was so helpful in chopping the 36 eggs & 2 big jars of pickles for the potato salad last weekend. :)
And I would like to send my Gratitude to Rachel R. for her thoughtful donation to help out with the increasing cost of the utilities from all the cooking.
Also to the dear lady with the three children at DeAnza Park last weekend, who told me she read about me in the Tucson Weekly & then squeezed a donation into my hand. I wish I had your name & email address, so I could thank you in that way.
Thank you also Steve R. for your second donation & for keeping your word on continuing to help out. :)
Thank you goes to Gary Mc.... for also helping out & your really dear words & your card was very pretty. :) If you are reading this, please send me your email address.
Liz G., thank you so much for your check & your caring !! :)
Thank you everyone for helping to make this possible & for opening your Hearts to the people in the parks who at least spend two less days being hungry. They are so grateful to you all for the wholesome & nurturing food we together are able to give them. Maybe as time goes we can add another day & another day after that. It is in God's hands.
Not too long ago there lived a Lakota Holy Man & Spiritual Leader by the name of Fools Crow who performed many Miracles & healed many people during his time long on earth. He always called himself a "Hollow Little Bone" for Creator to work through. He used to say that it was his job to keep his Hollow Little Bone clean, so Creator could use him each & every day. He had this exercise he did cleaning himself out each morning, taking out the bad & filling himself with the good. :)
All of us are Hollow Little Bones helping together to make this Feeding the Homeless project possible. Thank you soooo much each & everyone of you !! :)
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