May Newsletter

How are you and your family? I hope you are staying well.

As you may know today, May 5th, is #GivingTuesdayNow — a day encouraging global generosity.

Click here to donate!

While we are continuing to prepare for summer, I’d also like to update you on our recent work:

  • Through a limited grant provided by the Lavin Family Foundation, we have been partnering with local restaurants to purchase meals and deliver them to hungry at-risk children and families. The grant ends this week.
  • We have been providing these hot-nutritious, restaurant prepared meals to families on Tuesday and Thursdays over the past six weeks.  This is a win for everyone, children are fed, and the restaurants can keep their staffs working.
  • We deliver hundreds of bagged lunches to children, senior citizens and families in need.
  • Weekly we are also providing food baskets to over 25 families.  The baskets include milk, eggs, bread, fruit, peanut butter, and other staples like laundry detergent or toothpaste.  

Having the right technology to learn online is critical. We are happy to lend JPM’s computers to some students so they can study at home.  We also print, deliver, and assist some students with their homework. However, our tutoring center and the playground has been closed in response to the city of New Orleans requirements since March 13th.

We hope to be able to open the Junior Student Training and Enrichment Program (JSTEP) in June.  We will continue to mentor and train these phenomenal, yet at-risk youth.  Normally, our summer camp is staffed by volunteer high school and college interns.  However, this year we are planning to have the JSTEP youth fill that leadership role.  JSTEP has been in training for the last few summers and we think this will be an amazing opportunity for them to demonstrate the skills they have been learning. 

Your support tomorrow, May 5th, will ensure that children and families in Hollygrove will not only have the food that they need but will have a sense of safety and security.  It is such a joy to drive up to these homes when we are delivering the dinners and hear the kids behind the door start to yell and cheer, “the food is here, the food is here.” 

Every dollar counts. Your generosity will have an immediate impact on the families we serve.  No child should go to bed hungry.  Every child should feel safe.  Your donation makes this possible.

Blessings,

Debra, Rachel and Sarah

Donate now

A Quick Story:

Yesterday, I stopped by to bring a family their food basket. Whenever I knock on the door, one little boy, who I just love, is standing at the door in his diaper. Every time I stop by with a basket he asks “Do you have food?!”. This time was no exception. As I reached the doorstep he asks, “Do you have food?!”. I said, ya come on out. I hand him a batch of bananas, and then he sees bread and the first thing he says is “can I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich”. Luckily, we had both peanut butter and jelly! Unable to contain his excitement, he wanted to know if he could open the bananas immediately and I am just thinking,

“Oh man, I love what I do, I love what I do.’

This is what we do at JPM, we provide food for families. That’s a big part of what we are doing right now. Feeding kids and feeding families.

We will continue to do so for weeks and weeks to come.

Debra JPM APRIL UPDATE 4/30/2020

April 25: Baskets for Families

Amy Rolls and I had the opportunity to bless families in New Orleans (Hollygrove) with much needed food and supplies. We served along side our dear friends Debra and Rachel and others from JesusProject Min.

“To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like Him” ?

Mel Rolls 4/25/2020

Amazing opportunity to help our neighbours.

Today we handed out food boxes, laundry detergent & TP.

Thanks to everyone who is making this possible.

Love,

Debra and Rachel

Food 4 Families

Over the course of this crisis we have been hard are work using our resources to feed families in need.

This week alone we have been able to serve meals 4 days a week! Including 75 meals provided by Highhat Cafe!

The fried chicken, mac n cheese & greens were a huge hit!

We’d like to thank everyone in the comminity for their support, especially:

@highhatcafe for the delicious meals for our friends in Hollygrove!

@TCC lunch donations

 Trinity Community Center donated extra bagged lunches for our hungry kiddos 4/15

We’d also like to thank our partners for your help!

Click here to help our kids & families!

#lovethyhood #food4families

Love,

Debra & Rachel