TENT CITY 4 COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT
At 6 pm, January 1, I walked over to Tent City 4 which was set up in the parking lot of First United Methodist Church, Bellevue. It was raining and the residents were waiting patiently to hear that dinner was ready. In an orderly line they went into the church and queued up to be served what NWSID volunteers had prepared. It was a feast for them and a feast for us. We had taken a meat loaf recipe that Chris Colman had given me and with much estimating of ingredients to be put in the meatloaf pans, created a meatloaf that caused Wayne, a resident, to declare that he and I go into the meatloaf restaurant business where we would make our fortunes! Mashed potatoes that were stirred up by Karen Lunn-Fisher and her husband, Steve Fisher, were piled high, ready for the gravy. Vegetables rounded out the menu – although Autumn had to coax some of them to take veggies by saying “It’s what your Mom would want you to do!” Karen Lunn-Fisher and Marcella Diamond had spent December 31st baking wonderful cookies, so many that we had desserts for both meals. Wayne, yes, the same Wayne, came to me at our second meal saying, “You know them white cookies with the chocolate chips? (He was referring to Marcella’s famous chocolate chip macaroons that I can attest to as being awesomely delicious.) Well I took 2 last week because you told me to. Wow – they were so good that I took five today for breakfast!” What can I say? Meatloaf and macaroons!
January 8 food preparation profited from lessons learned January 1! Holly and husband nurtured mashed potatoes in smaller pans. This time we didn’t have to make a run to the market for milk and butter (yes, the real thing!) for the mashed potatoes. Meatloaf mixing went faster. Setting up serving tables by Bruno and others was simple this time – we knew where everything was! Jerrie, a student, was awesome. What can I say? We had 2 great kitchen crews!
Both meals were special both for the volunteers who shopped and prepared and served and talked to the residents and to the residents who liked the meatloaf and came back for seconds and leftovers to take back to the tents for breakfast the next day.
Tent City 4 moved this past weekend and is now in Issaquah. Paul Valley, who had come by on January 8 to help, spoke with TC4 about supplying them with pallets for the flooring of the tents – a gratefully accepted gift.
For me it was a privilege to be able to participate in Tent City 4 meals. I believe the volunteers felt the same. Best of all were the smiles, the many soft “thank you’s ” from those we served, the knowledge that we were helping with one of the most basic of needs, a hot meal. I hope we do this again!
As the chair of this Community Service Project I would like to thank the volunteers who brought laughter and good cheer as well as helping hands to make this project a success.
January 1: Karen Lunn-Fisher and her husband Steve Fisher, Autumn Donovan, Larry Lauer, Steve Brown, my husband Bruno Kalis
January 8: Holly Davidson and her husband, Kelly Lems, Jerrie Savory-Walker, and once again, my husband Bruno Kalis.
Barbara Kalis, Chair, Tent City 4 Project
A Call to Action
The Women in Transition program is a huge success but in order to keep it viable and successful, it needs your ongoing support.
Learn more about our Women in Transition project.
Day of Caring
NWSID is teaming up with Solid Ground to participate in a community service project on 2 Saturdays in November: the 14th and 21st. We need volunteers to work both days from 10-3. Many volunteers and donations are needed to re-furnish and spruce up Bethlehem House, one of Solid Ground's family shelters. Solid Ground, a local organization, is dedicated to achieving a just and caring community, free from poverty, prejudice and neglect.
Bethelehem House provides transitional housing in West Seattle for up to 6 months for families with children, or single parent families. In addition to that most important of services, a home if only for a short time, Solid Ground provides emergency resources, resource materials, children's services, food resources and assistance locating permanent houses.
NWSID is looking for volunteers to work on both days as well as furniture and accessory donations. The items needed are dressers, nightstands, dining room table and chair set (to seat 8 or more), twin bed frames and box springs, lamps, kid friendly accessories, end tables, loveseat, sitting chairs, window treatments. Work to be done on the house includes moving and hauling furniture, doing repairs, painting, arranging furniture and accessories, hanging window treatments.
To volunteer, make a product or moneary donation for this project please contact the NWSID office, Cara Fleming carasinteriors@aol.com or Kenna Stout kenna@briointeriordesign.com.
