We were blessed with a very special Easter/Passover Season! Here is an account of our Easter/Passover service projects in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA; and in Anambra State, Nigeria and Itatiba, Brazil.
Los Angeles:
A great team of volunteers met at Peace Theological Seminary on Easter Sunday morning and prepared 500 sack lunches and 300 extra sandwiches to pass out to the homeless around the city. The group energy in the dining room was fantastic, as more than 75 pairs of hands stuffed bags full of delicious food: bologna and cheese sandwiches, oranges, juice boxes, donuts, Easter eggs, Easter candy, granola bars, shampoos–and lots of loving. The 500 bags had been pre-decorated by many caring children and children-at-heart.
Once the sack lunches were ready, three teams went out to Santa Monica beach, a park in Santa Monica, and the downtown Skid Row area and served more than 800 people and children. As you can imagine, lunches and hot coffee went like wildfire, and all who participated were filled in even greater ways than those we served. Every single item in these lunch bags was donated by caring businesses and individuals.
Santa Barbara:
A team of enthusiastic volunteers led by Mady Widyasurya made and distributed 200 sack lunches at the Santa Barbara Homeless Shelter. They later brought 13 Easter bags and 17 Easter baskets for the adults and children living at the Transition House, a shelter for homeless families. Mady says that “It was an uplifting experience that no words can describe! It worked as only God could work it!” We all say “amen” to that!
The generosity of these donors made the California Easter/Passover service projects possible:
50 dozen eggs – Merkow Wholesalers/Rick Merkow
2,000 slices of bologna – LA Provision/Steve Marks
10 gallons of coffee – Starbucks – 3rd & Wilshire/Santa Monica
500 donuts, 150 loaves of bread – Entemann’s Bakery
500 oranges (LA) – I. Yellin Company
500 boxes of juice (LA) – Lazy Acres Market
2 cartons of bananas, 200 cookies (SB) – Lazy Acres Market
500 gift bags – Shepherd Packaging/Steve Shepherd
80# of Easter candy – Pacific Atlantic Crop Exchange/Michael Lawrence
500 granola bars, 1500 zip lock bags, dyed 500 eggs – Kathryn Bernstein
500 bottles of shampoo – Susan Lucci Cosmetics/Kevin Masterson
200 oranges (SB) – The Womak family
Celebratory balloons (SB) – Russell and Valerie Bishop
10 dozen bagels for the Easter Brunch – Manhattan Bagel
Batter for 500 pancakes for the Easter Brunch – International House of Pancakes
Anambra State, Nigeria
The location for the Easter service project was the Model Motherless Babies Home in Awka. On Saturday, 3/30, Heartfelt volunteers visited the home to share the spirit and joy of the Easter celebration with the lonely children living there. Prior to the project, volunteers had obtained gift items and funds to share.
Upon arrival at the home, the group was met by a troop of very enthusiastic and love-hungry children. The babies and children ranged in age from a few weeks to 6 years. Volunteers held, hugged, played with, and sang lullabies to the babies and children–who would not let them go away. The nursing staff was delighted at the support as well as the money and gifts, and thanked the Heartfelt team for such a loving and generous gesture.
Project Coordinator: Obunikem Asuzu
ITATIBA, BRAZIL
Heartfelt volunteers and volunteers from Voluntarios da Alegria returned to assist the impoverished families they visited at Christmas. They invited professional barbers and manicurists to give hair cuts and manicures to the children and some of their mothers. One group of volunteers spent time playing with the children, and another group of volunteers prepared and served a delicious lunch. The nurturing and special day was enjoyed by everyone.
Project coordinators: Carmen Vera, Reinaldo Almeida, Zeni Peron
You have a standing and open invitation to participate with Heartfelt around the world, as we go about our joyful work of touching to those in the greatest of need. Visit www.heartfelt.org for more information.