Ward Service Activity

Feeding the Homeless
by Anna Goodwin

On March 29, 2008, members of the Ward went to St. John’s Shelter for Women and Children at 4410 Power Inn Rd. in Sacramento to deliver blankets and new pajamas to its residents and to feed 110 women and children at the shelter.

The St. John’s Shelter for Women and Children is considered by many to be the best-run shelter in the Sacramento area. They are also the largest shelter serving 3 meals a day (plus 2 snacks) to more than 110 women and children each day.

Members responded enthusiastically to the call for donations of new pajamas and 114 pajamas for newborn to adults were collected by Erin Whiteley and her Activities Committee. Members also tied 45 new fleece blankets and put together school kits for the homeless children.
Four families with their children, the Vances, Monte Smith family, the Butlers, and the Whiteleys followed me to the shelter and we served chicken with rice casserole, corn, rolls, dessert, chocolate milk and ice-cream.

Members of the Ward generously donated all the food for the shelter residents. The residents loved the food and came back for seconds and thirds. At the end of the meal, the residents unanimously clapped their hands to thank us for the food not knowing that we still had not served dessert. When we brought out cookies, brownies, strawberry shortcake and lots and lots of ice-cream, the children were so delighted, it was like Christmas to them, since they never get to eat ice-cream. The youth who came with us were taking turns to serve the food (there wasn’t enough room for everyone to stand at the counter), and were a great help in distributing the dessert, replenishing the chocolate milk which went quickly, as it is something they rarely get, and scooping the ice-cream which was the highlight of the meal.

After we had finished serving the ice-cream (with still many cartons which we left for the residents to eat later), the group in the dining room broke into another spontaneous applause! Many of the homeless women came to us and thanked us again and again for the food and the other donations. They told us, “Please let your people know that we so appreciated the food, thank you, thank you for coming to feed us.”

The Volunteer Coordinator at the shelter told me that several months later, the shelter residents still can’t stop talking about us, they can’t stop praising us. Their comments to her, and to us that day were:

“LDS women are great cooks.”
“They were so nice.”
“Nobody feeds like the LDS.”
“Your Church is big on families.”
“I thought you are Mormons because usually you only see the women giving service, but there were several men in your group.”

The Volunteer Coordinator said that it was nice that the children could see husbands and fathers providing service that day, because the men these children are associated with are usually yelling and beating up their Mom. These homeless children need positive male role models in their lives.

This was such a heartwarming service project! Thank you to all the church members who prepared the food and dropped them at mine, and the Butler’s houses. I am continually amazed at the willingness and generosity of our members. When we serve, both the giver and the receiver benefit! We can’t thank you enough for your help!