November 2020 Newsletter
On Our Hearts
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.
- 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.
- Hearts Harvest Food Pantry: We are thankful to be able to participate in and administer a couple different Thanksgiving food giveaways.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
CALLING ALL CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKERS
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Households | Infants | Toddlers | Children | Adults | Seniors | Individuals |
658 | 73 | 110 | 555 | 1,131 | 97 | 1,966 |
Households | Infants | Toddlers | Children | Adults | Seniors | Individuals |
101 | 2 | 14 | 50 | 140 | 59 | 265 |
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]
Clothing Donations
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.