On Thursday, July 6, Trinity Loaves & Fishes (TLF) began a new phase of ministry, doubling their weekly hot meal production with the assistance of a new state-of-the-art food truck and a huge volunteer turnout. They served a whopping 200 meals!
The menu for the day featured a pork and vegetable stir-fry served over white rice, fresh watermelon and a fortune cookie. The hot meal program has six dishes ranging from pork tenderloin over black-eyed peas, meatloaf and vegetables, enchilada casserole, and bolognese pasta. One tenet of TLF's hot food program is to serve flavorful and nutritious meals that convey to the meal recipients a message of love, compassion, and mutual respect.
The day of serving was exciting and long. Volunteers worked tirelessly to deliver 100 hot meals in the new truck to various locations, including People's United Methodist Church Children’s summer camp, the START Corp. Youth Drop-In Center, catering to unhoused youth, Project Lazarus House, providing support for individuals with HIV, and Mercy Endeavors, where senior citizens reside.
A key initiative with the new TLF truck was to not only deliver meals, but have volunteers speak with the people served. Interacting with the people receiving meals was an important element of TLF years ago, but had gone somewhat to the wayside through COVID-19 and delivering brown bag lunches in the morning before community members arrive at partnership sites. We are incredibly proud of bringing that element of the mission back to the forefront of the ministry. There were smiles and joy from volunteers and those receiving the meals.
An additional 100 meals were served directly out the front door of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. It is remarkable to see how fast meals are distributed on Washington Avenue in Central City. At 11:50am there is no one on the street waiting for meals, but at noon there is a line down the block and within 10 minutes all of the meals are gone. It is a very telling sign of the food insecurity that haunts our neighbors just a few blocks away from Trinity. We hope to increase the production of meals and start a weekend program in 2024.
The hygiene products and laundry supplies donated by parishioners on Trinity Sunday were distributed to several of the sites receiving hot food, enhancing the support provided to those in need. We organized 5 large baskets worth of supplies! The hygiene drive will continue throughout the year. Save your toothbrushes from the dentist and be on the lookout for laundry supply sales at the store!
Encouraged by this kickoff, Trinity Loaves & Fishes NEEDS YOU to sign up for volunteer slots in July. By serving just once a month or even more, volunteers can help create a real impact on hunger in our community.
