Our local Clackamas Fred Meyer store recently held a donation drive for LoveOne, and on Tuesday night store manager Nicole delivered donations of hygiene supplies, jugs of laundry detergent and a check to sponsor our laundry event. Thank you to Nicole, Leila and all of the associates who generously donated to support LoveOne!
Thanks to our community partners CAP Community Testing, Milwaukie Lutheran Church, and Grocery Outlet, 70 neighbors were able to access help signing up for OHP (and help learning how to navigate OHP), Hep C, HIV and Syphilis testing, and a meal in addition to clean laundry and hygiene supplies.
Connecting folks to supports that provide tangible help is one of the ways we can best love our neighbors, and that starts with the basics: clean clothes and bedding, a nutritious meal, and a safe place to just be. None of this would hold much value if our mission wasn’t driven by loving our neighbors (and ourselves) right where we are. Building these relationships translates to building community...and that’s what makes the difference.
One of our longtime neighbors who has a stable place to live and works incredibly hard when he can find work, took a break from folding his laundry to make a cash donation to LoveOne. He said it was important to him to give back when he can.
We met a couple who recently lost their housing and are now living in their vehicle. While we weren’t able to solve their situation right then, we were able to meet some immediate needs and share a little hope. The desperation on their faces when they arrived had subsided a bit by the end of the evening. Before they left, they asked if they could volunteer at our next event. The generosity and kindness of our neighbors never ceases to amaze us.
On that note, another neighbor, Hope, was recently diagnosed with cancer. She is in transitional shelter right now and will have a safe place to stay while receiving chemo, and for that we are so thankful. Hope is someone who embodies her name. She is caring and kind, taking care of others and never asking for things for herself. During the event, another neighbor who heard what Hope is going through, gave her a keyboard because she knew Hope would love it. She sure did. Hope even spent time teaching our youngest volunteer, D, how to play a song.
A new volunteer came out on Tuesday and said, “I just want to be around people doing kind things. I need that in my life.” Us too.
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