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November 2020 Newsletter

On Our Hearts

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good…!” 
~Psalm 34:8
 
November is a month that centers around thanksgiving in our hearts and Thanksgiving as a holiday. Thanksgiving the holiday usually gives a visual of family, friends, and food while thanksgiving in our hearts is not always seen on the surface. At Hearts for the Homeless, because of our feeding programs, we are able to create a visual for both types of thanksgivings and even blend the two together. We do this by giving groceries to the community at large through Hearts Harvest Food Pantry and by feeding the chronic homeless and poor. We do this with a thankful heart always and it sure feels good to put smiles on people’s faces which gives us a visual of their thankful hearts in return.

As for the Thanksgiving holiday events that we have scheduled this year, they are being impacted by COVID. While we certainly aren’t  thankful for the pandemic that keeps lurking, we are determined to carry out our holiday programs and regular outreach with thankful hearts.
Women standing with food boxes
Hearts Harvest Food Pantry Coordinator prepping food for the Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Giveaway!
Here’s what we have planned for November:
 
  1. Homeless and Poor Thanksgiving Dinner: Zion Dominion Global Outreach Church will be serving up a take away full course Thanksgiving Dinner due to COVID restrictions. In year’s past, they have set up a buffet on the streets with a full table setting. We are grateful that our friends on the street will still be able to enjoy a holiday meal that they look forward to every year.
     
  2. Hearts Harvest Food Pantry: We are thankful to be able to participate in and administer a couple different Thanksgiving food giveaways.
     
    1. On November 16th, Hearts will be receiving and distributing to our neighbors, 50 turkeys with trimmings from a 150 Turkey Giveaway sponsored by Rich Products Corporation and brought in from a local grocer, Gordon’s Food Market, as a sign of appreciation and support of agencies committed to food security work in the 14207 zip code. The giveaway will be packaged into a full holiday dinner including potatoes, carrots, cranberry sauce and more.
       
    2. On November 17th, Hearts Harvest Food Pantry will also be handing out tickets for “Bills Thanksgiving Blitz” distribution of complete Thanksgiving meals provided by the Buffalo Bills at the site of the Food Bank of WNY.
       
    3. On November 21st, Amherst Knights Bantam Minor League AA Hockey Team is sponsoring a canned food drive and also collecting turkeys and whole chickens to give away to families in our community for their Thanksgiving or Christmas meals via our Hearts Harvest Food Pantry.

 

No matter what challenges we face, we remain thankful and encouraged to help all those who are in need and come to be served. This Thanksgiving, we thank God for each one of you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!         
A line of hungry people depend on Hearts to come and bring an evening meal, clothing and supplies.

CALLING ALL CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKERS

Cookies in a bag
Can you add a couple dozen cookies to your holiday baking?

300 dozen Christmas cookies, of any kind, are needed for our Christmas Eve Dinner so each guest can receive a bag of homemade cookies. 

Email [email protected] and let us know how many dozens you will be making.

Drop off would be at 890 Tonawanda St., Buffalo, 14207 (Riverside Ave. side of building; ring kitchen doorbell).

DEADLINE FOR COOKIES – NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, DEC. 18TH

If you can’t bake, perhaps you can share this information with someone you know who might be able to bake!

Thrift Shop News

A sweet moment at the prayer barrel – we’ve had customers ask about our prayer request slips and prayer barrel. One woman, after inquiring, filled one out and personally handed it to Anna the cashier and wanted her to read it rather than placing it in the barrel. They exchanged names and smiles as Anna read it and told her she would pray for her request. The thrift shop gives us a great opportunity to touch the lives of so many people that come through our doors. The prayer barrel at the cashier counter draws in those with needs to share and we thank God we can be used for this purpose.


Hearts Thrift Shop continues to reach those in need; in October:
♥ We were able to help a family of 4 with clothing needs; they just moved from Georgia, but staying in a shelter while they worked out some family challenges.
♥ We also celebrated with 2 homeless gentlemen that were moving into an apartment and needed some clothing items. One of them, however, expressed that he was having a difficult day; Maria from the thrift shop was able to make him feel better by sharing that Jesus cares about him.
♥ It is a blessing to share with clients that Jesus loves them and that we will be praying for them.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Remember, when you shop you are supporting our outreach to the homeless, poor and local community.

Lives Touched Last Month

volunteer handing out bag with food

October 2020

Total Clients Served: 1,871
Homeless: 1,097
Male: 1,623
Female: 186
Seniors: 46
Children: 16
Meal Bags for Buffalo Dream Center Outreach: 400
Total Volunteer Hours: 176

Talk from the Street and Heart

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

~Psalm 9:1

Boy holding bags
This young boy is happy and thankful to get his photo taken and receive a bag packed with personal care items and snacks that was put together by a young boy in Rochester who wanted to do something to help people.
Man holding a bag
This man is also thankful to receive a bag with snacks and personal care items from the boy in Rochester that our Wednesday Night Crew handed out in October.

We are in the month that encourages a thankful mindset and praise to God for what we have been given. Hearts has been given a mission to provide for those people who are in need of food, clothing, or just a kind gesture. We are thankful we were chosen for this assignment to give in return for what we have been given.

Women holding a box
The Little Portion Friary is grateful to Hearts for helping them during the pandemic by making and delivering meals for their homeless guests.
Harbor House Resource Center
Hearts continues to supply and deliver meals 7 days a week to Harbor House who shelters the chronic homeless during the Pandemic and the upcoming Code Blue Collaborative when the temperatures hit freezing.

We see thankful people every day when we go downtown to distribute a dinner meal. That is our favorite part of giving – even in their need and sometimes desperate state, receiving a meal, a smile, and a kind word hits the spot in those who are lonely, hungry, and struggling.

People making food
Hearts is ever-grateful for our volunteers.
Coat, Blanket, Socks, Pants, and Gloves
These cold weather items were donated - Hearts’ donors are the best – we are grateful!
Loading/unloading a car - food donations
We are so grateful for donors like United Healthcare and all of you who keep giving so that we can maintain out feeding program.

Hearts Harvest Food Pantry

Our pantry staff and volunteers welcome those in the community who need the help from a food pantry to feed their families, Monday 12 to 4; and Fridays 10 to 2 at Hearts at 890 Tonawanda St. Riverside.

Loading bags of food
Volunteers packing up Thanksgiving food bags.
In October, Hearts Harvest Food Pantry Served 17,694 Meals.
HouseholdsInfantsToddlersChildrenAdultsSeniorsIndividuals
658731105551,131971,966
Serving the local community at Hearts Harvest Food Pantry
Serving the local community at Hearts Harvest Food Pantry
In October, Hearts Mobile Food Pantry Served 265 Individuals.
HouseholdsInfantsToddlersChildrenAdultsSeniorsIndividuals
1012145014059265
 We are always happy to serve.
 We are always happy to serve.
In keeping our pantry stocked with canned goods for the hot meals we serve on the street, we can use your help to continue our outreach to the COVID homeless shelters and to those who come to the Downtown Library.

If you would like to organize a food drive or donate needed food items, listed below is what our immediate needs are.

For a complete list of needed food items, please call or email our office at 716-877-3536[email protected]
IMMEDIATE FOOD NEEDS HOMELESS OUTREACH CANNED BEEF STEW, CHILI CANNED CORN, CARROTS, KIDNEY BEANS We cannot accept expired food or opened containers!

Clothing Donations

Hearts for the Homeless donation bin

We are so grateful for all of your donations. We also have a bin onsite at our outreach center at 890 Tonawanda Street; you can find the bins located in your area by going to our website at www.heartsforthehomeless.org, click on Bin Finder, put in your zip code and those in your area will appear.

Hearts follows strict COVID regulations; please note that some of the photos in this newsletter were taken pre-COVID.

If you would like to download a printable pdf, please click here:
Nourishing the community through dignified service. The official monthly newsletter of Hearts for the Homeless of WNY, Inc.