We already knew it was going to be a special day this Saturday because we would have the pleasure of two sets of people coming to join us and help us out for our Outreach # 19. Our neighbors and good friends Sharon and Earl planned on joining us, as well as Beau’s friend and co-worker Denis along with his good friend Chris. As usual, we woke up fairly early on this sunny Saturday morning, had breakfast, and immediately got to work sorting, organizing, and packing up the car. We packed 1 ½ racks worth of clothing, including winter coats. We packed shoes & boots, a container full of socks, another one full of hats, mitts, and scarves, and the small chest of drawers full of toiletries, etc. Beau made 60 cups of coffee in the urn, and we packed cream, milk, and sugar. We brought 20 fruit cups, 32 individual packs of Pringles, and 64 protein bars. We also had some blankets and a sleeping bag. We headed out the door at 10:15 AM and arrived in front of the Salvation Army just after 10:30 AM.
We immediately set up the table and the rack, but when Beau went to get the urn, it felt so light, he knew something was wrong! Somehow the urn had fallen over slightly, causing the lever to let most of the coffee flow onto the floor of the car! We had a full-blown coffee crisis on our hands! After some quick thinking, Beau called Denis, who was already on his way, who in turn stopped by Tim Hortons to pick up two large boxes of coffee.
While we were waiting for Denis and Chris to arrive, we put out the food treats, hung the clothing on the rack, and put out the rest of the items we had brought along with us. We were soon joined by Sharon and Earl, who kindly brought along a box full of mandarins to add to the treats on the table.
There was the usual flurry of activity as people started to look through and choose clothing items, and help themselves to a snack. A little while later Denis and Chris arrived with the boxes of coffee. Everyone was so grateful to finally have some hot coffee on a chilly morning! Thank you so much, Denis and Chris, for saving the day with your generous coffee donation. It was such a pleasure to have such a great company and help during this weekend’s outreach.
We certainly had some great conversations and interactions with many of the individuals that we serve, and it allowed you guys to see firsthand what Beau and I are trying to accomplish every second Saturday. In no time at all, we realized that it was already past noon, all the treats, coffee, and most of the clothing were gone, and it was time to head back home! Thank you so much again, Sharon, Earl, Denis, and Chris for coming out and joining us. It was such a pleasure, and we hope that you will come to join us again sometime!
Like always, we are in need of warm winter clothing and footwear, as well as mitts, hats, and scarves. We are willing to do a pick up anywhere in the Ottawa area. Just email us or contact us through Facebook messenger. We want to thank each and every one of you for any and all donations. Without all of you, we couldn’t do what we do!