Autumn
2009
REPORT
"Can
I Get a Sandwich Maker at Best Buy?"
A street minister
whom I have known for many years read TKJ Summer 2009 Report. He was
intrigued by the report that, among other things, our daylily sale
raised a "sandwich maker". He was wondering what one of those looked
like and where he could buy one.
I let him know I
was referring to a volunteer who makes sandwiches, not an appliance. He
was somewhat disappointed. It would be so much easier to load up and
turn on a machine than to recruit and organize faithful volunteers. I
said "Yes, people can be messy but that's what ministry is about."
We can't buy a
sandwich maker at Best Buy or Home Depot, so we need more volunteers to
make sandwiches. It's easy, really. Make sandwiches like you would like
to eat (except no mayonaisse). Put them into sandwich baggies and stack
them back into the loaf bag. Write on the loaf bag what kind of
sandwiches they are. Some people don't eat pork. Some can't have peanut
butter, etc., so we like to be able to tell people what is in their
food. Close the loaf bag with a twisty tie.
Bring
them to our house by 6pm or to St. Philip's by 7pm on a Thursday
evening. If you go to Holy Ascension contact the McGraws. If you go to
St. Stephen's contact Michael or Christopher Jones. If you go to St.
Philip Neri, contact Michael Heveran. If you go to St. John Chrysostom,
contact Linda Notskas. They'll be able to let you know how to get the
sandwiches to us. Of course, you could always join us and help hand
them out yourself.
A
recurring frustration of modern life is the problem of not having time
and money at the same moment. So if you have money, but no time, there
are people who have time but no money who are willing to use your money
to buy sandwich materials and make them. If you are in either of these
situations, give us a call or an email. We'll get you paired up.
TKJ Picnic
On August 15, we had a fun picnic at our house for the 20th anniversary
of The King's Jubilee. Our neighbor brought over brownies that were
safe to chew this year. We had a whole turkey roasted on the grill,
venison roast, beef steak, beef ribs, pork ribs and turkey burgers. We
had salads, fruit, cake, beer, wine and tea.
There were
bubbles and badminton. We had a perfect day for it. I told a few
stories and we had a brainstorming session about other areas of
possible ministry, including children visting the Montgomery County
Geriatric Center.
We had fun.
Maybe this should be an annual event.
Blankets
and Longsleeves Needed
It's that time of year again. We can use blankets and cold weather
clothes for men. When you buy new for yourselves, give us your used
stuff. We can always use new men's underwear and socks to give away.
You can buy these as you are doing your shopping, or we will buy them,
if we are given money.
Now that
everyone's back from their summer vacations, we can all clean out our
travel kits and give all of those little shampoos, soaps, toothpastes
and lotions that we accumulated away.
Come
Join the Fun!
So many times people hear about what we do on the streets for homeless
people and assume that it is a burdensome or hard thing to do. My reply
is always the same: "We're having fun!"
I really mean it. Apparently I am not the only one who feels this way.
The other week one of our supporters and volunteers turned 50. She
hadn't been down to the street for some months. She told her family
that she wanted to celebrate her birthday by the whole family helping
The King's Jubilee serve on the street. For gifts, she wanted them to
buy socks and underwear for the guys. They came out and had a great
time.
So next time you want a fun night out on the town, come join us!
Reality is so much more interesting than "reality" TV.
Food is Expensive!
I had no idea how much what we serve is worth, if we had to pay for all
of it to be prepared. Last month a dear friend, Michael Yezdimir,
reposed after several months of ups and downs, then a week in intensive
care. He is my age, 54. His family was all pretty well tuckered out
from all the hospital visits, trips to and from dialysis, etc. I
volunteered to put the mercy meal together for after the burial.
I expected 100 to 120 people would stay for the meal, about the same
size crowd we serve on the street every Thursday night. Just the deli
trays cost over $300. That was basically sandwiches, potato salad, cole
slaw and a veggie tray. People donated green salad, fruit and dessert
and beverages. We made coffee. I made a huge kettle of turkey soup. The
ingredients cost about $40 for that, plus a full day roasting and
stewing.
If we would have
had to pay for everything and its preparation and serving, it would
have been over $10 per person.
Every Thursday, we serve between 75 and 150 people hot soup, spaghetti,
sandwiches, iced tea or juice, pastries and fruit (if we have it). We
transport it an hour away from our homes and serve it buffet style to
any who want it in a park in center city Philadelphia.
Most of the meat for the soup for the year is donated through the
Turkeys 'R' Us collection at St. Philip's. I don't know who all makes
sandwiches. Folks at Holy Ascension Orthodox Mission in Chester County
make spaghetti and some sandwiches. Most weeks there are bags of
peanuts in the shell that are very popular.
Some vegetables are donated, but most weeks we have to buy them. Landis
Market in Telford gives us two big (banana) boxes of wonderful baked
goods each week. We buy the soft drink, cups, spoons, napkins spices
and hot sauce.
Then there are the expenses for the vehicle, the occasional cooler,
etc. We sometimes buy specific clothing for guys, like work boots if
they are starting a job.
Along with the meal, we give away toiletries, clothing and blankets.
When someone moves off the street, we try to stock their cupboards with
staples and cleaning supplies. We also try to scare up used furniture
for them.
So there is an
average of four and a third weeks in a month. Say our average
population is 100. Just the meals served for one month are worth
$4,300, plus the cost of delivery. It's a good thing we don't have to
pay that, because most months only about $900 comes into The King's
Jubilee. And we usually have enough money to give away some of it to
those who ask.
Just like at Michael's mercy meal, when the community comes together to
meet a need, no one is over- burdened. Joy is multiplied and sorrow is
eased. May his memory be eternal!
If we had more, we would do more. Please give generously so we can give
more to the poor in Jesus' Name.
St. Nicholas Day is Coming
For the past several years, we have given away three or more dollar
coins to everyone we serve on the first Thursday of December. The first
week of the month we serve the truly destitute. Most of those who get a
check on the first of the month will not eat with us that week, well at
least not in cold weather.
This is always an opportunity to share at least some of the life of
this wonderful Saint. Some of the guys are already looking forward to
it. They're like kids at Christmas.
It's your money we are giving away. If you give more, we can give away
more to the glory of God in His Saints.
Psalm 12
Help LORD, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,
Who have said,
"With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own:
Who is lord over us?"
"For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise," says the LORD;
"I will set him in the safety for which he yearns."
The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth.
Purified seven times.
You shall keep them, O LORD,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
Barn Update
It's been more than three years and we still are not done with our
barn. Deacon Herman Acker and I spent several Saturdays in the summer
to finish hanging cement siding on the back. The first floor still
needs the insulation and walls installed. Most of the barn is used for
"Come and See" Icons, Books & Art.
Our freezer is
in the barn and we store clothing and furniture for TKJ in it. We would
like to make a third of the first floor into a clean storage area for
the freezer, pantry, clothing and household goods for The King's
Jubilee. We cannot afford to pay for labor to finish it. Any help is
hugely appreciated.
Nothing New ...
almost
The last couple of months Ruth Hunsberger Sewell has joined us again
serving on Thursday nights. We have known Ruth since 1985 when I
started ministering in the Philadelphia prisons. She has worked for
decades as a prison volunteer and working for Crossroads Community
Center in the badlands of north Philadelphia, teaching young people the
Bible and imparting lifeskills.
I was asking the volunteers what I should include in this newsletter.
No one gave me any ideas. I commiserated with Ruth about the problem of
writing a newsletter when there is really nothing new to report. We
just keep doing the same things that we have been doing for decades.
There are moments of frustration and disappointment. There are times of
fun; sometimes even of pure joy. Then there are the times when we
witness minor miracles.
Last Thursday, several of us got sprayed with iced tea. One of our
patrons was having a bad day and didn't like the way it was served, so
he threw the full cup in the air over our heads. Now that was something
new!
Cash, Checks & Visa Accepted
If you want to participate in this ministry to the homeless and poor on
the streets of Philadelphia, please feel free to mail checks to:
The King's
Jubilee
27 N. Front St.
Souderton, PA
18964-1148
phone:
267-497-0267
email: TKJ@shoutforjoy.net
Thank
you. May the Lord bless you as you bless the poor in Jesus’ Name.
Peace,
Cranford
Joseph Coulter
We are
now also accepting donations via MasterCard, Visa, Discover and
American Express on our website: www.shoutforjoy.net
Pray for Peace.
www.comeandseeicons.com/peace.htm
"They desired only that we should
remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do."
- Galatians 2:10
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