On Saturday, 11/24/18, TLC Food Pantry held it’s regular service day. However, this month was anything but regular! We were fortunate to be visited by Steve Wilson (of Wilson’s Secret Sauce). Steve shared a spectacular lunch of smoked turkey and fresh vegetables.
Steve Wilson (left) donated a tasty, homemade meal at TLC Food Pantry.
Thanksgiving may have officially past, but friendship and gratitude filled the cafe at Temple Lutheran Church. Shoppers and volunteers alike were able to spend time together over a hot meal. Certainly an idyllic way to kick off the holiday season!
Many thanks to Wilson’s Secret Sauce for making this service day one to be remembered!!
We’ve all been there – the unexpected surprise of finding that forgotten bill in your pants pocket. Or in your winter coat when it comes back out of the closet. Or under the seat in your truck when you get to clean it. Regardless of where it’s found, the euphoria we feel is always the same. Yes – what a find!!
$20 in my pocket – what can I do with this!?!?
After that moment of pleasant surprise, we’re then faced with the inevitable question, “so what do I do with this ‘free’ money?” Treat yourself to something new? Go out to lunch? Stop by the bank and make a deposit? Of course we can do anything we want to with that money, although more often than not, it ends up being something for ourselves.
The reality is that finding money like this will not change the course of our typically comfortable lives. However, it may in fact, make a considerable difference in the lives of those less fortunate.
A local family recently experienced one of these ‘found money’ moments. After a thoughtful dinner discussion, they chose to use it for those struggling with food insecurity and/or homelessness. After a short trip to Kohl’s and the TLC Food Pantry, they created the following ready-made care package.
Don’t underestimate what $20 and some donations can provide.
Once filled, this bag was kept in the family truck to be given to anyone down on their luck. As fate would have it, they came across a homeless Veteran while traveling to visit family for Thanksgiving. With the humility of a true hero, he accepted the package with an expression of gratitude.
All packed up and ready for the truck.
Will the package change his life? Only God knows. However, this heart-warming story shows us that even happen-stance occurrences can be turned toward the greater good. If you’ve experienced or performed anything similar, we’ve love to hear about it!
While not as comprehensive as this package, TLC Food Pantry prepares “Just-In-Case” bags that can be used in a similar way. Stable, canned food items are bagged with a can-opener, utensils, and a child-written message of hope. These can be kept in your car, just-in-case you come across someone in need. If you’re interested in picking some up, send us an email and we can make arrangements for you to come get some.
Super exciting news this month for our Service Day this Saturday (11/24/18)……Wilson’s Secret Sauce (the hot new BBQ joint on Township Line Rd) will be serving a hot meal to our patrons!! Many Thanks to Steve Wilson for sharing his delicious food with us!
Wilson’s Secret Sauce: 484-453-8608
We expect to serve lunch around 12:00 and will be doing our best to get the doors open between 11:30-11:45. Following lunch, we will have our usual shopping time from 1-3:00 pm. Parking can be limited on Brookline Blvd. If you cannot find an easily accessible spot, you are welcome to use the parking lot behind the Surrey Senior Center located on Earlington Road.
1105 Earlington Road – Park in Rear
TLC Mission Partners: If you plan on assisting this weekend, please try to arrive between 11-11:30 so we can arrange Fellowship Hall accordingly. At the conclusion of our service day, we will also take a few moments to prepare for Sunday morning brunch (to follow the Consecration Sunday Service at 9:30a).
Check back throughout the summer to see how well our homegrown produce is coming along! We can always use some extra help, so if you’re interested in helping to care for the garden, please send us an email (pantry@templelutheran.org) or Sign-Up Here to help water each week.
May 13
Kale, Rainbow Chard, Lettuce
Spinach, Lettuce
May 20
Kale, Chard, Lettuce
Cucumbers
Spinach, Lettuce
June 3
Kale, Rainbow Chard, Lettuce
Lettuce, Spinach
Cucumber, Peas
Tri-color Beans
June 13
Kale, Rainbow Chard, Lettuce
Lettuce, Spinach
Cucumber & Peas
Tri-color Beans
Our next Service Day is Saturday, June 23rd (from 1-3:00pm). By then, we’ll have plenty of spinach to share. Possibly even some lettuce and kale too!
Sunday, May 6th, the Burko and McCormack families prepared the TLC Produce Garden. On a refreshingly cool, spring day, all the raised beds were cleaned and prepared for a bountiful harvest later this summer/fall. There is something invigorating and fulfilling about digging in the dirt. Particularly when it’s in service of those in need.
We are taking measures to make our garden especially environmentally friendly. Our raised beds are all built with reclaimed boards from both the community and from our Mission Partners (we even kept the leftovers in case we need to build more;-)).
Rather than using chemical fertilizers, we enrich our soil with ‘homemade’ compost. We try not to throw away any food items from our pantry. Expired items are composted (when able) and the packaging is recycled.
Last year we obtained four rain barrels and installed them on two downspouts behind the church. During the entire growing season last year, they did not run out of water once! Which means we did not need to turn on the hose at all in order to water the garden.
This year’s crop is focused mainly on leafy greens: spinach in the spring (and again in the fall), rainbow chard (a fan favorite), a few different lettuce varieties, and some kale. We were also able to purchase both a bean tower and a cucumber trellis…can’t wait to see how those turn out!
We’ll update our growing progress at intervals during the summer. Be sure to check back to see how we’re doing! If you’re interested in helping out, please email at: pantry@templelutheran.org. We can always use volunteers to help water & weed during the year. It’s often a relaxing way to spend some time in the evening with your family.
TLC Food Pantry 