Let's be honest, it's a little hard to feel hopeful and resilient right now...but we must. We must, because there are so many examples of kindness and love that can't be stopped by what feels like the world imploding. Or is that just me that sometimes feels that way? 😁 Anyway, tonight was a great night to be helping neighbors with laundry. We were diligent to follow all CDC recommendations and adhere to the current group gathering restrictions. It was no small feat, but with great volunteers working all day to pull things together, we succeeded. And not only were were able to provide laundry, but Pita Pit donated individually wrapped pitas to feed our neighbors and our faithful volunteers/supporters Emily and Atom delivered the pitas along with a case of chips. Dan at Grocery Outlet donated water, and our meal was complete. In place of our usual resource table where people can freely shop for the items they need, we handed out gallon ziplocks full of hygiene supplies, snacks and toilet paper - thank you Heather Hobson and Rotary Club of Milwaukie, Oregon for the donation of hygiene kits and Clinkscales Portable Toilets & Septic Service LLC for the donation of toilet paper!
Our neighbors were so thankful for the opportunity to do laundry and enjoy a meal.
After the event I received a text from C, who sent the following: "We made it home. A very nice older woman saw us getting off the bus, I was struggling because P was asleep. It's a bit much for me now that she's 4! So I was grateful for the ride home, even if it was just a couple blocks. Thank you SO MUCH for keeping the event on for us. We feel so much better having clean clothes."
D gave his chicken caesar pita wrap 5 stars: "I was starving and that was not just tasty, it filled me up. It was so good!"
Another neighbor, C, rushed up to the laundromat and asked if Jo, one of our volunteers, was there tonight. I let him know she had just left and his face fell. "She's my favorite! She's so nice. I like visiting with her."
M came to laundry tonight for the first time. I learned from another neighbor, L, that M had badly burned herself and required wound care at the warming shelter last weekend. L was relieved to see that M's arm is healing well thanks to the bandages and antibiotic ointment she'd been able to give her.
Circling back to the beginning of the night, when I asked D how he was doing he told me in a trembling voice that things felt pretty hard and he was really struggling to hold it together. He said he misses his buddy Dave McAdams and wondered if God must really want to make him strong because the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" sure seemed to apply. After mumbling something about "men don't cry," D broke down in tears and we cried together as we talked about our friend Dave. ❤️
Thank you doesn't feel adequate, but thanks is what I have to offer to every volunteer, neighbor, business, and community member who supports LoveOne. We could not do this without you.
-Brandi