Adapted from our email newsletter
Dear Diary,
Please forgive me as it’s been far too long since I last checked in. You must get tired of hearing how busy things are – but it’s truer now more than ever! I know it’s no excuse…but perhaps you’ll accept it as an explanation? I don’t even know where to begin….
Our new Director of Education came on board with less than three weeks before the opening of the After-School Program. I don’t know how Whitney did it, but on September 18 we had 23 students registered for the first day! We can enroll up to 40, but we are in the same place we’ve been in the last couple of years at this point in the year. We will get to 40!!
So much is different this year, not the least of which is having access to the newly renovated gym in St. Paul’s – we are so grateful to our partners for all they have done to create a beautiful space for recreation!
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Every day I see confirmation that there’s no “I” in “Team”. Team CEI is firing on all cylinders (more than I can say for my motorcycle!). Tiffany is constantly managing the operations, troubleshooting, and supporting the volunteers and staff. The volunteers are totally selfless in doing whatever needs to be done, and the staff is open to all of the many changes. Behind the scenes the Board of Directors continue to offer their full support and guidance as we seek to fulfill our mission. And at long last, we ordered enough T-shirts for all who offer themselves in service at CEI.
Still not sure? Let me tell you about the forty – yes, 40! – brand new laptops in the computer lab. When hearing about our twelve year old computers, a passionate CEI volunteer offered the resources to make the lab like new. Praise God for the moments when the gifts of generosity, commitment, and compassion collide.
And how even to tell you about the Community Garden!! Each day the produce multiplies and it’s already feeding guests who come to the food pantry. The students in the After-School Program are eating it up! And we’re in conversation with the City about having a waterline connected to make sure the plants get all the H2O they need! On the third weekend in October we’re going to host a Fall Harvest Festival to share our produce with the community and our partners, and celebrate with food, fellowship, and fun. Watch for details to come!
Once again this fall, we will be offering voter registration during the food pantry and hot meals hours on Mondays and Wednesdays. This is the result of CEI volnteer efforts and a partnership with the Committee of Seventy’s WeVote program.
If you can imagine it, in the midst of all this, we’re also making changes in our program schedule. Beginning October 16, our weekly schedule will look like this…
Mondays and Wednesdays: food pantry and hot meals from 11am to 12:30pm
Thursdays: the clothes closet from 11am to 12:30pm
We will offer “Grab ‘n Go” meals on Thursdays (no longer on Mondays and Wednesdays), which will have us providing food three days per week. It will simplify Mondays and Wednesdays by reducing the number of programs from five to three.
Also, the clothes closet will happen in our large front room, meaning volunteers don’t have to carry all the items, racks, and tents up the stairs. And it can be open regardless of the weather!
Finally, as a result of a recent new partnership, the clothes closest will specialize in offering desperately needed supplies for infants and children – especially diapers and formula. We will also expand our stock to include more household items. I hope people remember us when they clean out their attics!
Dear Diary, now I need to tell you about the things that weigh on my heart. As hard as we all work, and in spite of all of our developments, sometimes it feels like such an uphill battle. Take food, for instance…we have created new partnerships, received funding from individuals and foundations, and food donations from every direction. But the need remains one step ahead of our efforts. Here’s what I’m talking about…
September is shaping up to be the most demanding month in the history of our food pantry. It’s not just that more people are coming to us for food. We are also behind in the amount of dontated food we are receiving. We continue to send out our list of needed items, and especially as our annual Thanksgiving dinner event approaches…here it is again.
Finally, dear diary, to the hardest part. With all the changes, with the new staff, with the increased need, and with the ever-increasing prices, it is such a struggle to maintain the resources needed to sustain all these developments.We submit grant proposals constantly, but times are just as hard in the world of funders. Our end of the year appeal is just on the horizon, and we’re already making plans so it would be our mest one yet. But the truth is, muck as with food, donations are far below last years’ levels.
I know things are so hard for so many. After a year, I also know how widely and deeply the support for CEI’s mission runs. More than anything, I know the difference our programs make in the lives of those who receive their benefit.
Thank you, my faithful companion, for listening to this extended entry. I hope within it you hear both the joys and concerns that fill my mind and heart. At the end of this epistle, I trust the present and future of CEI to all of those who are a part of its community, and to a power far greater than us all.