EASTER 2012     

Everyone needs a little INSPIRATION!

It's amazing how a little sunshine, a smile, a flattering remark... the littlest thing can make or break your mood! Sometimes we can lose sight of our purpose or goal when we get caught up in our daily activities. That's why it's so important to be inspired, encouraged and renewed from time to time.

At Christmas time, we receive so many lovely notes from supporters. We've got them all tacked up on the wall for our own positive reinforcement and motivation. This one gets us every time we pass it:

The other day, a woman called asking a bunch of questions about our Men's Mission. When meals are served, how many people are fed, etc... By the way, we serve meals 3 times a day, with almost 200 people seated for supper 365 days a year - 366 days this year! Then, she asked about our $2.78 per meal calculation - we broke it down: the cost to prepare and serve a full-course hot meal with coffee and dessert.  Then, she asked how many people would be coming to our Easter Dinner. Well, Easter is a little different. We tend to go the extra mile to help our guests deal with often painful memories on holidays. Volunteers provide inspirational entertainment, we display personalized notes from donors and our staff offers meaningful messages of encouragement and hope. We're expecting a least 250 people for Easter Dinner! The woman on the phone said, "I would like to pay for everyone's meal that night." WOW! What a wonderful surprise and inspiration!

We are so grateful for this person and every one of our compassionate donors! Your support not only helps us serve meals, but also provide other essential services our guests may need such as showers, clean clothes, guidance, referrals, etc...

Over the Easter season, we will be serving some 52,000 meals to people who are lonely and suffering. Imagine what a little inspiration and encouragement could do for them!