I’d like to begin this BNP (Brethren Nutrition Program) update by passing along some very grateful “Thank you’s”. The first of these comes from Carolyn Nestman, the current director of BNP. The second thank-you comes from me. Thank-you to the Oakton COB and wider community of friends for your support of BNP. The soup kitchen is now serving hot lunch 4 days of each week.
In summary, last year’s fund raising walk did indeed raise the funds necessary to replace the soup kitchen’s major appliances. New (industrial size and quality) freezer and refrigerator were purchased. The sponsored walkers raised over $5,000. Some additional funds were approved and donated by the Oakton Church Board which supplied the funds BNP needed to properly disassemble and dispose of the expired/damaged/retired freon-containing equipment.
Last October, a Saturday all-church cooking day produced 30 gallons of assorted “high nutrition value” soups and approximately 40 m pounds of chopped fresh produce. Both soups and chopped vegetables were then frozen and picked up from the church the next Monday by Carolyn Nestman. Another than-you here, to Garner’s Produce, for their sizable donation to our cooking day project.
During November and December of 2014, the Action/Reflection committee held a food collection focused on non-perishable items for BNP. In early January 2015, Carolyn met me at the church to pick up those non-perishable items. Another shout out THANK-YOU! goes here to Karl Wilkerson. Yes, God does provide. Karl arrived at the church a timely, though unexpected, point and relocated plastic bins from inside to outside. This permitted Carolyn and I to successfully load them into her car. Those plastic bins contained between 450 and 500 pounds of non-perishable foods. Reality states this: I would not have been able to get those bins outside without unloading and re-loading them! Also, thanks to Jan Fischer-Bachman and her crew who served lunch at the BNP soup kitchen the Friday after Thanksgiving Day. They transported the very first bin of non-perishable foods, around 90 pounds if I remember correctly.
As to future support of BVNP – stay tuned in. The 2015 walk is scheduled for Sunday May 17th. The sponsored walkers’ funds of this year’s walk are targeted for necessary plumbing work at BNP soup kitchen. Details and needed dollar amount will be clarified soon. The next all church cooking day is scheduled on Saturday October 17th from 1PM to 6PM. Also planned for this year’s all church cooking day — the cookk at home option. Some time prior to October 17th, a couple of recipes will be provided for those individuals with either time restriction/conflict or preference to cook at home. more details — later.
I’ve asked these questions before and I’m going to ask again. Have you ever been hungry? Do you know someone who is hungry? To “put a face” on hunger, it is the face of one of every five people in the United States at the present time. Yes, the homeless population is hungry’ there are many more hungry also — co-workers, neighbors, friends. those having to choose between eating and paying the heating bill, or paying medical bills, or buying snow boots…or…or…or.
Please put some thought into what an individual could do to help feed those 1 in 5. Here I’d like to tell my own short story. It starts with chocolate. As some of the children might remember from a past children’s story: I like chocolate; the darker it is the better it is.
So, I eat dark chocolate covered peanut butter cups. not every day, not even every week but I do enjoy them. For an extended period of time the particular brand I buy has contained (in each pack) a coupon for a free 1.75 ounce trial packet of that company’s almond butter. I’ve been saving coupons — might want to try the almond butter sometime. Well, these coupons expire on 7/5/15. I don’t know how many years I’ve been saving the coupons; I do know I have more than a few.
Step 1: Interesting thought enters my mind; do my math. One trial packet of almond butter contains 6 grams of protein. Yes, my brain often thinks outside the box but roll with me here! Any average individual’s daily protein requirement is based on age, weight, height. For adults that generally equals 35-50 grams of protein per day. For children however, ages 4-10, top end in weight based required need is 27 grams per day. For children ages 1-3, the daily requirement is 13 grams per day.
Step 2: My “aha” moment. One packet of almond butter (containing 6 grams of protein) goes quite a useful distance if I’m thinking about feeding youngsters. So, I count my coupons (more math!) I found I had 6 dozen coupons. Read the details, 1 coupon per purchase; I’ll have to work around this was my next thought.
Step 3: Go to the store with 2 dozen coupons. Ask at the customer service desk if I can use them all at 1 time. I’m “buying” the free almond butter packets for donation to a local food pantry. per customer service representative, “Yes, I’ll let you do this since it’s for hungry kids; no tax to pay even since it’s for donation.”
Step 4: Leave the store with 2 dozen free packets of almond butter for a local food pantry. I’ve since returned to the store, collected 5 dozen more almond butter packets and delivered them to the individual who runs the day-to-day functions of this particular food pantry.
The really interesting part of my story — the customer service rep was once one of those hungry children. Different time and different country. He remembers and he knows.
So, that is my story. Think about what might become yours. Do you throw out coupons thinking you’ll never use them? Could they be used? I know I’m not the only individual who has a personal project. I can’t tell any other stories though; I didn’t yet ask for others’ permission to do so. I’ll simply close with this traditional Franciscan benediction:
“May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”
~Cathy Carson