Update from the UCE-Connections Partnership: December 18, 2020
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO, LATELY?
1,025 tasty, healthy sack lunches, that’s what!
Bravo! to the volunteers who shopped, made sandwiches, packed and delivered them! Many hungry people had a meal instead of an empty stomach.
Last October an article in our Newsletter gave details of our new partnership with Connections for the Homeless. Connections is a long-standing non-profit in Evanston with the goal of finding permanent housing for all, with supportive resources all along the way. UCE has had a relationship with Connections for many years, through our Giving House, Mitten Tree, and volunteer work of many of our members.
The UCE Endowment Fund and the Board of Trustees approved a grant of $40,000 to fund a Housing Specialist position for Connections for the Homeless. We also wanted to find volunteer opportunities for our members to assist in the effort to change lives, one person at a time.
One of the areas we decided to focus on, as a start, is the sack lunch program run by Connections at three locations in Evanston. We worked out a plan where we would supply each volunteer lunch-maker with a bag of non-perishables needed for 25-30 lunches, (granola bars, juice boxes, mustard/mayo packets, bags). Volunteers signed up online for the day they wanted, packed the lunches, and delivered them to their chosen location. They were responsible for providing the fresh components of the lunches – bread, lunch meat, cheese and fresh fruit.
Many people found this to be easy enough that they contributed lunches on several days. Some folks found it was fun to do with a partner to share the task and the costs. Through December, we will have provided over 1,000 lunches – all through generous volunteer efforts. Many thanks to everyone who participated in making such a success of this undertaking.
In case you missed out on this opportunity, or just want to do more, we have good news. We have received generous funding from Martha Holman and Faith in Place to keep our lunches-for-hungry-people going. After a break in January, we will resume sign-ups starting Monday February 1.
This is a chance to volunteer with the safety of physical distancing, in a way that produces immediate, concrete, satisfying results. Give it a go!
Carol Nielsen, Maggie Weiss, Sheila Holder