Potato Packin'

Saturday we spent the morning at the Oregon Food Bank with a group of eight from church. This visit included a new experience ... aprons, gloves and hairnets! We were assigned to pack 5 pound bags of potatoes and when that was finished ... it was on to packing pears.
It is amazing what a large group of volunteers can accomplish working side-by-side for a good cause. One thing that impressed me was the age range of volunteers ... from the elderly to school-age children. I was reminded that we are never too old to give ... there are chairs available for those who are not able to stand for long periods of time. I love seeing the children involved. They have such enthusiasm! Thinking back ... I wish we would have involved our kids in family service projects.
Our two-hour shift always goes by much too quickly due to the good conversation, laughter and an occasional find ... like heart-shaped potatoes! You don't seem to notice the backache or sore muscles ... until much later : )
With the combined effort of the potato/pear team we packed 26,480 lbs of food which contributed to 20,698 meals and each volunteer packed food for 244 people. It's amazing how so little time can make such a huge difference in someone else's life.

Serve Us or Service?

Sometimes summer can put churches in an attendance slump ... vacations and sunshine can beckon us away from consistent attendance. Not so at Tigard Christian Church ... this summer our focus has been on a "portrait of a disciple" ... serving like Jesus.
Yesterday we utilized what we have taken into our hearts and shared it with our community. Following our worship service approx. 175-200 people from our congregation spent the afternoon cleaning the Templeton grounds and building, preparing it for the opening of school. We pulled weeds, spread barkdust, washed windows, painted the entry sign, powerwashed sidewalks and the building, picked up trash, etc. And when we left there was a noticeable difference made not only physically to the building but in our hearts. It was a day for building community within our body -- for working alongside someone you may not know or rarely get to talk to ... a time to just have fun together. It was a day to realize how much we want to serve and love on our community. It was a day to get out of our pew and into our community as a conduit for God's love.
Our pastor, Steve shared that Dave Thomas (Wendys) had an MBA ... Mop Bucket Attitude ... what a great illustration on what it means to be a servant.

P.S. A special round of "gratitude"... and applause to our extremely organized Regional Ministry Team ... for all your passion, hard work, and attention to details!

Because No One Should Go Hungry ...

I guess 2009 has found me MIA on my blog ... not intentionally but probably more due to trying to get life back on track after illness, busy schedules etc. Now I'm feeling better and ready to get back to those things that bring JOY to my heart.
What a great Valentine's Day celebration ... many new experiences, new tastes, new JOYs.
Our day started off at 8:00 a.m. at the TCC parking lot meeting the Tuesday @ Five group + our husbands. During our Bible studies we have been challenged to make service a part of our life. We have been wanting to find a way to put "hands and feet" to what we've taken into our hearts. Thanks, Melney for coordinating this wonderful service event. We journeyed over to the Oregon Food Bank, which just happens to be located in our childhood stomping ground ... right across from Riverside Little League.
Our group was assigned to the Food Recovery Center. It's a fast-paced, food sorting adventure. There were various job assignments ... some assembled boxes, a crew un-boxed huge boxes of donated non-perishable food, others read food labels to determine the product was peanut-free. Then the excitement began ... the food items traveled down a conveyor belt and a group stood ready to fill boxes to the brim. Finally, the filled boxes rapidly moved down the conveyor belt to be sealed and stacked on pallets. The conveyor belt brought back childhood memories of the TV show Lucy and the chocolate factory episode!
Volunteering here is quite an organized effort. I was on "tape gun" detail and became quite proficient at it : ) while Walt assembled boxes in the first-stage process -- (pictures to follow) What a fun, meaningful way to give of your time. When you have completed the day's task the volunteer team gives you statistics on what was accomplished during your shift. Each person volunteering in the Food Recovery Center fed 322 people from our efforts! It's amazing what can be done in only a few hours when people work together for a great cause.
I would definitely volunteer here again. In fact, during my summer break I would love to spend time volunteering there. They even have a garden! If you are interested in being a part of this program, call 503.972.2993 or volunteer@oregonfoodbank.org.
To satisfy our hunger our group drove downtown to Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery for a delicious lunch. I have never been disappointed with anything I've ordered off their menu. Next time I'm ordering their soft pretzel appetizer. YUM ... just a one-bite sample sold me!
Our evening was a great new experience ... dining at McCormick & Schmick's in Bridgeport with the Dehaze's. We celebrated Valentine's Day and their 33rd anniversary with a delicious meal, great conversation, and the JOY of spending time with such dear friends. The restaurant was extremely busy ... a five hour wait to be seated and they had nearly 850 reservations for Valentine dinner. Our celebration wasn't finished there ... we went over to Donna & Pierre's and played a very competitive round of Rummikub while listening to the "oldies." Pierre's decadent dessert, Creme Brulee finished off our evening.
What an amazing day! Now back to reality ... and fewer calories : )