Thanksgiving Volunteers Needed--via the Mikols Family

[Krista Wells]

Hi MIMA Friends!

Every year St. Thomas Episcopal Church partners with Hopelink Eastside to provide full Thanksgiving meals for families in need.  We prep, cook, package and deliver these complete meals to people who have signed up to receive them at the Hopelink offices.  Last year we distributed 1200 meals in the community.  This is an outreach program that is open to anyone and everyone and likewise we get volunteers from all over including other churches, schools, girl scouts, cub scouts and families looking to bring some true service (and warm fuzzies) back to the holiday season.

This year we need more volunteers than ever to make this program happen.  We have a variety of ways in which the whole family can participate whether it be helping to prepare and package the food to being ambassadors to the community in the form of delivering the boxes to the door of these families.  If you would like to donate some pies, that is always welcome too.

Below is an email from my friend, Beth, who is the volunteer coordinator for this effort.  She has listed some jobs that are most in need of people at this time.  For those of you who would like to participate by driving a route to deliver meals on Thanksgiving Day, just be aware we need TWO adults in the car just for the safety of our volunteers.  I have done this in the past and it’s a lot of fun plus you get to meet the people you are helping and wish them a happy holiday face to face.  This sometimes leads to some pretty profound experiences.  One year I had a little girl come running out the door of her apartment and hug me she was that excited to dig into the pie.

If you are interested and would like more information on jobs and how you can help please feel free to contact me via phone or email and I’ll get you all the details.  Most jobs come in short shifts and can be accomplished in the morning before going home to sit down to dinner with your family.  Many families have made this a tradition and have involved kids of all ages in the process.  We also serve a full dinner to folks who wish to sit down at the church and share the holiday with old or new friends.  We will be joined by friends from Sofia Way this year.

Thanks to you all for considering.  Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Warm Regards,

Tia, Mark, Kamia & Colin Mikols