I have to admit something to all of you: my favorite part of living with my partner is that I get to cook for him. Tonight's menu is turkey burgers, corn on the cob, and crispy potatoes. So good. I can't wait to serve it to him when he gets home.
What about you? Do you like cooking? Do you like serving people in larger groups? Our program serves groups of 15, 30, 50 and 150... all through the skill and will of volunteers. If you like to cook, chop vegetables, serve oth...ers, even clean up, consider spending a few hours at your local soup kitchen. Even the smallest of towns has at least one - it may be a prayer breakfast for teens, an afterschool dinner program for kids, once week at a local church or a full on meal served at noon every single day. Give a few hours a day, a week, a month... it will make a difference and you'll be participating in #HungerActionMonth
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Hunger Action Month - Day 2 - Clean Out Your Freezer
Did you know that food pantries, while preferring non-perishables, will also accept frozen foods? Many have at least one freezer and at least one fridge available for food. So, take a look at your freezer. Check out the content - please don't donate if it's freezer burned. But do you really need 10 packages of frozen spinach when you haven't cooked even 1 since February? I'm going to guess that answer is "no." It was just on a good sale and you w...ere TRYING to eat healthy. I get it. However, someone else may really benefit from it. It's not trash, it's just allowing food to get used instead of buried by ice build-up.
Or remember those soups that kids sold as a fundraiser? Yeah, CHAOS kids sold them every year. And you bought them every year because golly gee, they looked and sounded delicious on paper. And then they arrived and you were never really in the mood for soup. Guess what? Those soups are great meals for our homeless populations living in hotels or on the streets. They can be heated in a microwave without many utensils (can opener, pot/pan, etc)! I know that if our pantry got a huge donation of them, our clients would be ecstatic!
Clean out your freezer today and participate in #HungerActionMonth.
Or remember those soups that kids sold as a fundraiser? Yeah, CHAOS kids sold them every year. And you bought them every year because golly gee, they looked and sounded delicious on paper. And then they arrived and you were never really in the mood for soup. Guess what? Those soups are great meals for our homeless populations living in hotels or on the streets. They can be heated in a microwave without many utensils (can opener, pot/pan, etc)! I know that if our pantry got a huge donation of them, our clients would be ecstatic!
Clean out your freezer today and participate in #HungerActionMonth.
Hunger Action Month - Day 1
For the next month, I have committed to posting on Facebook about Hunger Action Month. I want to also share these posts here for those who may not have Facebook or may have missed the posts. I have some catching up to do, so I hope you won't mind multiple posts in one day, but here you go!
September is Hunger Action Month. Each day this month, I'm going to post about hunger and issues surrounding it. Not only because it's my current career, but also because it's a basic human right to have access to food.
Today, I ate. I had cereal for breakfast. Not a name brand, but similar to honey nut cheerios and cold milk. I had Doritos topped with shredded mozzarella cheese melted in the microwave. My boyfriend and I went out for froyo. We made a delicious dinner ...of marinated chicken breast and carmelized broccoli.
Every day, my program feeds people who simply don't have access to anything I ate today. We only give out UHT milk (shelf-stable), never chips, never cheese, never chicken breast (unless donated) and broccoli? Yeah right. Forget the marinades, the oils, the salt... and in a city in which 1.4 million people RELY on food pantries and soup kitchens, i cannot imagine not having access to the food I ate today. Can you?
Can I challenge you? Take a look at your pantries. Think about something you think would be a treat for people in hard times - oil, flour, seasonings, frozen meats, minute rice, good cold and hot cereals, etc. Next time you purchase it, purchase an extra to donate to your local food pantry. It could be something as simple as a head of broccoli, but it could make someone's day.
September is Hunger Action Month. Each day this month, I'm going to post about hunger and issues surrounding it. Not only because it's my current career, but also because it's a basic human right to have access to food.
Today, I ate. I had cereal for breakfast. Not a name brand, but similar to honey nut cheerios and cold milk. I had Doritos topped with shredded mozzarella cheese melted in the microwave. My boyfriend and I went out for froyo. We made a delicious dinner ...of marinated chicken breast and carmelized broccoli.
Every day, my program feeds people who simply don't have access to anything I ate today. We only give out UHT milk (shelf-stable), never chips, never cheese, never chicken breast (unless donated) and broccoli? Yeah right. Forget the marinades, the oils, the salt... and in a city in which 1.4 million people RELY on food pantries and soup kitchens, i cannot imagine not having access to the food I ate today. Can you?
Can I challenge you? Take a look at your pantries. Think about something you think would be a treat for people in hard times - oil, flour, seasonings, frozen meats, minute rice, good cold and hot cereals, etc. Next time you purchase it, purchase an extra to donate to your local food pantry. It could be something as simple as a head of broccoli, but it could make someone's day.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Why Do I Blog?
I haven't really updated this thing with any regularity. I would apologize, although I feel as though I don't really need to do so. It's random and it's scattered. It's not that I've lost interest, I just haven't been using my spare time to do anything productive, like blogging. It comes down to Words With Friends or Blog? Or it comes down to Netflix or Blog?
Lately it's been - ugh. I've been running around all day for work, so when I get home, the last thing I want to do is be productive. Honestly, I haven't even called my mother in like, a week. That's huge since I used to talk to her at LEAST every other day.
What's new, you ask? Well, how about everything?
I moved on July 1st. My boyfriend, the love of my life, moved from Michigan to NYC to be with me and not only did the distance end... the horrible 800 miles that separated us for over a year... but we did something crazy: we decided to live together. (I'll blog about that at another time).
I started a second job. It's a part-time position within Project Hospitality (the agency for which I already hold a position) working in a shelter. Every Saturday and Sunday, I somehow manage to pull myself out of bed at 6a in order to clock in at 7a for an 8 hour shift of site babysitting and story-making. It's not a bad job (actually, it's really simple), but it helps to pay some bills until E finds himself a job.
Tinka is here. I forgot what it's like to try to roll over in bed with a cat on my feet. Or to wear my favorite black shirt or skirt or pants or dress with cat hair decorations. Or to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water and step in puke. I also forgot how nice it was just to lay on the couch with her watching TV on my lap with me... or the feeling of coming home to someone if no human is home.
We have a bathtub, a real kitchen with counters, a living room with windows and a bedroom with two closets. We pretty much live in a palace. Pad status = increased 10 fold. Windows - these are probably my favorite parts of the new place. They lead to fresh air, to breezes, to smells of summer... they are where I most often find Tinka perched and from where I can watch the people of our block like a creeper. So good.
E is unemployed. This. This has been the hardest part of all of this. We, hopefully, will be so much happier and healthier when this phase of our relationship is over. We're not really in a horrible place, there's just much depression, much anger, much stress, much worry, much negativity surrounding it. I cannot wait for this period of waiting and hoping to be fruitful. God is providing and God will provide, but there have definitely been moments where I wondered if we hadn't made the wrong decisions in all of this because there has been little blessing on that front. (again, I'll blog about this at another time, I think).
However, despite all the news and things that kept me away, I'm back. Every Sunday at the shelter, I work the downstairs office, which is composed of a camera monitor system, a phone and a computer from 1782 that runs slower than molasses in winter. This is a good thing in one way - instead of checking Facebook or browsing Amazon (both of which take forever to load), I can update my blog so that we are not so disconnected. I won't be in this position forever, but until E is able to find a full-time, permanent position and brings home enough paychecks to set him at even for saving, I'm here. I look forward to talking to you every Sunday. It could be like fellowship hour, minus the cookies and weak, decaffeinated coffee.
Lately it's been - ugh. I've been running around all day for work, so when I get home, the last thing I want to do is be productive. Honestly, I haven't even called my mother in like, a week. That's huge since I used to talk to her at LEAST every other day.
What's new, you ask? Well, how about everything?
I moved on July 1st. My boyfriend, the love of my life, moved from Michigan to NYC to be with me and not only did the distance end... the horrible 800 miles that separated us for over a year... but we did something crazy: we decided to live together. (I'll blog about that at another time).
I started a second job. It's a part-time position within Project Hospitality (the agency for which I already hold a position) working in a shelter. Every Saturday and Sunday, I somehow manage to pull myself out of bed at 6a in order to clock in at 7a for an 8 hour shift of site babysitting and story-making. It's not a bad job (actually, it's really simple), but it helps to pay some bills until E finds himself a job.
Tinka is here. I forgot what it's like to try to roll over in bed with a cat on my feet. Or to wear my favorite black shirt or skirt or pants or dress with cat hair decorations. Or to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water and step in puke. I also forgot how nice it was just to lay on the couch with her watching TV on my lap with me... or the feeling of coming home to someone if no human is home.
We have a bathtub, a real kitchen with counters, a living room with windows and a bedroom with two closets. We pretty much live in a palace. Pad status = increased 10 fold. Windows - these are probably my favorite parts of the new place. They lead to fresh air, to breezes, to smells of summer... they are where I most often find Tinka perched and from where I can watch the people of our block like a creeper. So good.
E is unemployed. This. This has been the hardest part of all of this. We, hopefully, will be so much happier and healthier when this phase of our relationship is over. We're not really in a horrible place, there's just much depression, much anger, much stress, much worry, much negativity surrounding it. I cannot wait for this period of waiting and hoping to be fruitful. God is providing and God will provide, but there have definitely been moments where I wondered if we hadn't made the wrong decisions in all of this because there has been little blessing on that front. (again, I'll blog about this at another time, I think).
However, despite all the news and things that kept me away, I'm back. Every Sunday at the shelter, I work the downstairs office, which is composed of a camera monitor system, a phone and a computer from 1782 that runs slower than molasses in winter. This is a good thing in one way - instead of checking Facebook or browsing Amazon (both of which take forever to load), I can update my blog so that we are not so disconnected. I won't be in this position forever, but until E is able to find a full-time, permanent position and brings home enough paychecks to set him at even for saving, I'm here. I look forward to talking to you every Sunday. It could be like fellowship hour, minus the cookies and weak, decaffeinated coffee.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
My Dream Job
Many people always ask about my work. It's hard to understand what I do from a business world. Shoot, it's hard to understand what I do when I ask myself to describe my job. However, is it my dream job?
No. It's close, but it isn't it. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my work and the things that I am doing. It has been a job that truly uses my strengths (and my weaknesses) and brings me back day after day with a feeling of accomplishment.
So, what is my dream job? Well, I have this dream of living along the border of the US and Mexico. I would love to find an abandoned church and turn it into a haven. My family and I would occupy some of the space as our home. Also in the building would be a few apartments for families currently working through issues along the border. Whether they've been split up or they're working with immigration or they're looking to find someone, it would be a safe place for them to rest for some time. Another section of the building would be filled with community resources. Legal, English classes, medical support, job training, etc. The possibilities are endless.
I have this dream. I am convinced that even with this job, I am becoming more and more prepared to fulfill this dream.
What are your dreams? How are you on your way to accomplishing them?
No. It's close, but it isn't it. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my work and the things that I am doing. It has been a job that truly uses my strengths (and my weaknesses) and brings me back day after day with a feeling of accomplishment.
So, what is my dream job? Well, I have this dream of living along the border of the US and Mexico. I would love to find an abandoned church and turn it into a haven. My family and I would occupy some of the space as our home. Also in the building would be a few apartments for families currently working through issues along the border. Whether they've been split up or they're working with immigration or they're looking to find someone, it would be a safe place for them to rest for some time. Another section of the building would be filled with community resources. Legal, English classes, medical support, job training, etc. The possibilities are endless.
I have this dream. I am convinced that even with this job, I am becoming more and more prepared to fulfill this dream.
What are your dreams? How are you on your way to accomplishing them?
Friday, July 4, 2014
Difficult Days
"Mama said there'd be days like this... there'd be days like this, my mama said..."
There have been so many different difficult moments in the last few weeks, it's hard to really write about them.
In the past 6 months, here's what has happened:
My friend, Monica, passed away after complications prior to a medical procedure.
I flew out of Grand Rapids and back to NYC without my love... several times.
My first pastor at Home Acres, Pastor Rich Baukema, passed away.
Eaic came and then left again... and then came here and then left again.
One of the dear elders at Home Acres, Pete Slabbekoorn, passed away.
There were several days without heat or hot water in my old apartment.
I fell and got a third degree sprain in my ankle/feet.
My car broke down.
I have had flight nightmare after flight nightmare.
There were bad days when I had no idea what my future really looked like and who would be in it.
There were fights at the food pantry.
There were things that I wish I didn't have to do, but come with my role as program director and supervisor of staff.
There were days when I went home and just plain crashed from the emotional stress, the physical stress and the mental stress at work and in the apartment.
I'm still here.
It's nice to have sat here in my vacation time (filled with moving and other stresses) and still reflect on the fact that life, while it has given me some difficult days, is really pretty good. God is good and He has really continued to bless me. Those difficult days are just those: only days. They pass and the next day gets a little better.
So, next time you're having a difficult moment, day or even week - remember it will get better. The difficulties won't last forever. Scream, cry and even kick a little bit. Be angry. Be sad. But trust - it will end. I promise.
There have been so many different difficult moments in the last few weeks, it's hard to really write about them.
In the past 6 months, here's what has happened:
My friend, Monica, passed away after complications prior to a medical procedure.
I flew out of Grand Rapids and back to NYC without my love... several times.
My first pastor at Home Acres, Pastor Rich Baukema, passed away.
Eaic came and then left again... and then came here and then left again.
One of the dear elders at Home Acres, Pete Slabbekoorn, passed away.
There were several days without heat or hot water in my old apartment.
I fell and got a third degree sprain in my ankle/feet.
My car broke down.
I have had flight nightmare after flight nightmare.
There were bad days when I had no idea what my future really looked like and who would be in it.
There were fights at the food pantry.
There were things that I wish I didn't have to do, but come with my role as program director and supervisor of staff.
There were days when I went home and just plain crashed from the emotional stress, the physical stress and the mental stress at work and in the apartment.
I'm still here.
It's nice to have sat here in my vacation time (filled with moving and other stresses) and still reflect on the fact that life, while it has given me some difficult days, is really pretty good. God is good and He has really continued to bless me. Those difficult days are just those: only days. They pass and the next day gets a little better.
So, next time you're having a difficult moment, day or even week - remember it will get better. The difficulties won't last forever. Scream, cry and even kick a little bit. Be angry. Be sad. But trust - it will end. I promise.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
My Favorite Recipe
When I started this list of blogging topics, it intrigued me because there were things on it that I probably wouldn't otherwise share. This is one of them.
My favorite recipe isn't one that would surprise many people. It's for Hungarian Fruit Soup (Gyumolcs leves). It was the first Hungarian food I fell in love with and the one I keep recreating for friends and potlucks.
The following recipe has been taken from here. It doesn't make very much, so I find myself doubling, tripling or even quadrupling depending on the event. This recipe makes 6 servings.
My favorite recipe isn't one that would surprise many people. It's for Hungarian Fruit Soup (Gyumolcs leves). It was the first Hungarian food I fell in love with and the one I keep recreating for friends and potlucks.
The following recipe has been taken from here. It doesn't make very much, so I find myself doubling, tripling or even quadrupling depending on the event. This recipe makes 6 servings.
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 cups water
- 1 pound fresh sour cherries, pitted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
Preparation:
- In a large saucepan, cook cherries with water and 3/4 cup sugar until done, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix sour cream with flour, salt and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
- When cherries are done, temper the sour cream mixture with a few ladles of hot cherry liquid, whisking
until smooth. Transfer to the pan with the cherries and whisk until
smooth. Simmer 5 minutes, but do not boil.
- Cool to room temperature in an ice water bath. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the soup (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate until cold. Serve cold as a first course as they do in Hungary or as a dessert with a dollop of sour cream or whipped cream.
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