Funky Chicken

Had some volunteers over on Tuesday to take inventory of recently collected items for the pantry.  The problem was that the garage smelled horrible.  We thought it was just the lawn mower until we opened up the freezer and found 5 chickens, 1 turkey and a half dozen or so packages of ground beef sitting completely defrosted and beginning to go bad.  The stench was unbearable.  A high school volunteer and I cleaned it all up and put the trash on the curb which was thankfully being picked up the next morning.

Bummer.  I couldn’t help but think about the 6 families who could have had those birds.

If anybody knows of a good freezer repair place that likes to do free work for non-profits, let us know.

Aurora Presbyterian

We were able to share at Aurora Presbyterian a few weeks back about our heart for the poor as well as some details about the Jubilee Food Pantry.  Pastor Paul from Aurora Presbyterian sent me an email this week to let us know that the leadership at the church has decided to become a Covenant Congregation.  We are now looking for only one more church (we would love to have every church in the area, but one more would complete our goal of having a straight rotation every 8 weeks).

We are excited about how the Lord is working as we approach our opening date of May 25th!

White Rabbit Bakery

So, I (Serenity) have been wanting to stop at this new little bakery/espresso shop called White Rabbit Bakery in Aurora for a few months now.  I pass by every week and as a coffee/baked goods lover, my mouth waters every time.   And then I thought, ‘hmmm….I wonder if they might have extra baked goods that they want to share’.

I stopped to satisfy my coffee cravings today and to ask if they might be willing to give us their leftovers before our food sharing time each Tuesday.  After talking with the owner Emily, it turns out that they had been trying to figure out what to do with their leftover pastries and she was excited to know that we could work together to help folks in our community.   With the recent connection with Bauman and White Rabbit Bakery along with our friends Inspiration Plantation, I get excited envisioning what a blessing it will be for people to leave the JFP ready to fill their own food pantries.

Bauman Farms

Being a teacher has proved very beneficial when it comes to starting up the Jubilee Food Pantry.  Not only have we been able to share the Good News to the public school students I work with, but we have received numerous volunteer hours from the kids.  Many of my students have volunteered to translate on Tuesdays for the JFP as well (which is better than if they volunteered to translate for their mom and dad at parent teacher conferences)  Teenagers are sometimes the most willing to truly help and show enthusiasm while doing it.

Sarah Bauman, a student of mine way back in 2005, connected me with her family who own (you guessed it) Bauman Farms.  The Baumans are going to support the JFP by allowing us to glean from their fields the produce they can not sell as well as allowing us to take some produce that is left over from their store each weekend.  We are excited about this connection.  The Baumans seem like wonderful people and their farm is a staple for the Woodburn area.  It is very exciting to know that we are taking something that would simply go to waste and give it to people who are in need.  Our vision is to have so much fresh produce that we can simply tell our friends who come to the JFP, “take as much as you want.”

Tigard Community Friends Church

TCFC isn’t actually what we consider a “local” church, Tigard is located about 20 miles north of Hubbard, but they are close to our heart.  Serenity grew up attending TCFC and has many family members who still attend (and work) there!  Over the past few year the leadership and congregation has overwhelmingly supported us both financially as well as through individual donors, prayer and labor (one member, Paul Morse, loaned us his expertise with construction and helped us build the food pantry in the garage).  In other words, you could say TCFC helped lay the foundations of the JFP.  The leadership has now chosen to partner with us as a Covenant Church!  Praise God!  We are closing in on our goal of 8 Covenant Churches, currently we have 5 partner churches and feel that the Lord, in His timing, is revealing His plan for us and how we might love those in our little community of Hubbard, Oregon.

Speaking at Aurora Presbyterian

We have the opportunity to share at another church in our local area called Aurora Presbyterian this Sunday (April 11th).  Pray that His Spirit speaks through us and plants seeds in the hearts of those who attend.  God continues to move and amaze us!  We know He will provide.