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March 23, 2020
Dear Volunteers,
As a result of the national emergency declaration by President Trump on 3/13/20, federal funds have been approved to temporarily house our unsheltered and transient population. The emergency declaration granted authority to the City Manager, or designee, to take actions and issue orders necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the City The City of Florence has prepared a resolution, deeming it "necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety of the City of Florence".
Mayor Joe Henry is expected to sign this resolution tomorrow. The resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption and shall remain in effect until June 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., unless further extended by the City Manager or designee, or the City Council. You can watch a special City Council meeting live online at 5:30 tomorrow (Monday). Look for a link at https://www.ci.florence.or.us/
At the city's direction, Rev Greg Wood of the Presbyterian Church of the Suislaw, 3996 Highway 101 N , President of the Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter, is coordinating with the City of Florence to house our unsheltered and transient population. He is seeking motel rooms to house an estimated (30) and is working with owners now to survey room availibility.
Free Lunch and Helping Hands will likely be called upon to assist in providing food for the motel occupants so I've been trying to imagine what that might look like. In consideration of how to make this happen, I am seeking volunteer cooks who are willing to prepare a soup (for as many as 30?)--in their homes, packing it into our paper to-go cups and leaving it on their front porches in a box for a coordinated pick-up and delivery to the motel lobbies. As little is known at this moment, I am anticipating that we may be needed to cover 3 days a week. If I can get 12 volunteers, each cook would be called upon just once in a month.
I haven't tapped into funds to help our program as yet but I'm pretty sure they'll be out there so I would be requesting the volunteers bear the cost initially, saving receipts and getting free points for heaven. Yesterday, I applied to Oregon Community Foundation's Oregon Community Recovery Fund Grant, announced on 3/17/20, to help us fund our program.The Free Lunch program has stocked up on shelf-stable to-go meals (vienna sausage, chips, cookies, water, fruit jello, napkin and spoon in a paper or ziploc bag), and when we find volunteer delivery drivers (hint) for the soup, we may also deliver one of these to-go bags as a second meal for the day. We currently have 60 bags available and we may need more. Lighthouse Inn, where FUMC already had an arrangement to provide emergency shelter when needed, advertises an overnight stay includes breakfast so I hope they agree to come aboard for housing. And they take dogs!
In the meantime, we are continuing to give out Subway soup and sandwich vouchers on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30-12:30. We gave out 36 last week and Treasurer Sandy has already delivered a check to Subway to bring us back up to 60 vouchers available for this upcoming week. We have received some generous donations to help us carry on so thank you, and keep up the good work!
Helping Hands is currently passing out sandwich bags on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Food Share is packing emergency food boxes for those with kitchens but they also serve "travelers" with luncheon and canned meats, fresh fruit and veggies, protein bars and the like. I will be talking to them about what might be available to us in our efforts. Meals on Wheels is continuing delivery. The Warming Center cadre of volunteers may also jump on board with us, I hope. Fingers crossed. We will be coordinating all food providers efforts shortly.
So, FREE LUNCH coordinators, please, please , please send this info on to your cooks and crews to muster up the personnel to get this job done. Get back to me as soon as possible and provide me phone numbers and email addresses of potential cooks and delivery drivers so we are prepared to hit the ground running. I'll be making the first pot of black-eyed peas and ham hocks for thie first delivery. Now who else can help? I'll send around a sign-up calendar when we know more about our assigned task. Email or call me with suggestions and questions.
Rev Wood shared with me that Cindy Wobbe is coordinating an effort to enroll restaurant kitchens and their chefs to see what she can come up with as well so, for now, we'll just ready ourselves.
Please share this email with any potential volunteers.
Our Pastor Karen continues to emphasis BE SAFE.
Bless us all. Here we go!
Paula Z
(More than just acting)
Exec Chair
FREE LUNCH
541-603-6948
Dear Volunteers,
As a result of the national emergency declaration by President Trump on 3/13/20, federal funds have been approved to temporarily house our unsheltered and transient population. The emergency declaration granted authority to the City Manager, or designee, to take actions and issue orders necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the City The City of Florence has prepared a resolution, deeming it "necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety of the City of Florence".
Mayor Joe Henry is expected to sign this resolution tomorrow. The resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption and shall remain in effect until June 30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., unless further extended by the City Manager or designee, or the City Council. You can watch a special City Council meeting live online at 5:30 tomorrow (Monday). Look for a link at https://www.ci.florence.or.us/
At the city's direction, Rev Greg Wood of the Presbyterian Church of the Suislaw, 3996 Highway 101 N , President of the Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter, is coordinating with the City of Florence to house our unsheltered and transient population. He is seeking motel rooms to house an estimated (30) and is working with owners now to survey room availibility.
Free Lunch and Helping Hands will likely be called upon to assist in providing food for the motel occupants so I've been trying to imagine what that might look like. In consideration of how to make this happen, I am seeking volunteer cooks who are willing to prepare a soup (for as many as 30?)--in their homes, packing it into our paper to-go cups and leaving it on their front porches in a box for a coordinated pick-up and delivery to the motel lobbies. As little is known at this moment, I am anticipating that we may be needed to cover 3 days a week. If I can get 12 volunteers, each cook would be called upon just once in a month.
I haven't tapped into funds to help our program as yet but I'm pretty sure they'll be out there so I would be requesting the volunteers bear the cost initially, saving receipts and getting free points for heaven. Yesterday, I applied to Oregon Community Foundation's Oregon Community Recovery Fund Grant, announced on 3/17/20, to help us fund our program.The Free Lunch program has stocked up on shelf-stable to-go meals (vienna sausage, chips, cookies, water, fruit jello, napkin and spoon in a paper or ziploc bag), and when we find volunteer delivery drivers (hint) for the soup, we may also deliver one of these to-go bags as a second meal for the day. We currently have 60 bags available and we may need more. Lighthouse Inn, where FUMC already had an arrangement to provide emergency shelter when needed, advertises an overnight stay includes breakfast so I hope they agree to come aboard for housing. And they take dogs!
In the meantime, we are continuing to give out Subway soup and sandwich vouchers on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30-12:30. We gave out 36 last week and Treasurer Sandy has already delivered a check to Subway to bring us back up to 60 vouchers available for this upcoming week. We have received some generous donations to help us carry on so thank you, and keep up the good work!
Helping Hands is currently passing out sandwich bags on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Food Share is packing emergency food boxes for those with kitchens but they also serve "travelers" with luncheon and canned meats, fresh fruit and veggies, protein bars and the like. I will be talking to them about what might be available to us in our efforts. Meals on Wheels is continuing delivery. The Warming Center cadre of volunteers may also jump on board with us, I hope. Fingers crossed. We will be coordinating all food providers efforts shortly.
So, FREE LUNCH coordinators, please, please , please send this info on to your cooks and crews to muster up the personnel to get this job done. Get back to me as soon as possible and provide me phone numbers and email addresses of potential cooks and delivery drivers so we are prepared to hit the ground running. I'll be making the first pot of black-eyed peas and ham hocks for thie first delivery. Now who else can help? I'll send around a sign-up calendar when we know more about our assigned task. Email or call me with suggestions and questions.
Rev Wood shared with me that Cindy Wobbe is coordinating an effort to enroll restaurant kitchens and their chefs to see what she can come up with as well so, for now, we'll just ready ourselves.
Please share this email with any potential volunteers.
Our Pastor Karen continues to emphasis BE SAFE.
Bless us all. Here we go!
Paula Z
(More than just acting)
Exec Chair
FREE LUNCH
541-603-6948
Flag indicating Shelter will open tonight. |
Beds set up in Presbyterian Church |
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St. Andrew's Episcopal Church 2135 19th Street Florence, OR 97439 |
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