March 25, 2008

Dear Vacationing Volunteers:

"Your volunteers serve us with a smile like my mother used to do."
"Will you tuck me in?"
"When I was a child, I would look forward to my birthday or Christmas.  Now, I look forward to the Fall when OOTC starts up again."
Can you find a common thread running through these true to life quotes from our guests?  Everyone remembers forever the love and care of not only a parent, but anyone who touched their lives the way you all have.

Our last night was very special. The wonderful vegetable soup, meatballs with meat sauce over pasta, the caesar salad and warm veggies, and, as the rain-mixed-with-snow-driven-by-wind fell, our guests enjoyed ICE-CREAM SANDWICHES, FUDGESICLES and VANILLA CUPCAKES courtesy of Lori and Maxie Goldblatt.

Thankfully, the church fire alarm (false) waited until after our dinner guests and most of the volunteers had left; however, the homeless and about 15 volunteers remaining were evacuated from the building and were then renamed "Out IN the Cold." (Thanks Samara Strub for pointing that out.)

Sister Carole Anne has extended the deadline for the April 8th Volunteer Appreciation Dinner until early tomorrow morning.  If you can attend, please call 308-8447 and leave a message with your name, Tues, James St. Baptist group. If you would like a vegetarian kosher meal, please specify.

As a group, we are very thankful for the kindness and generosity which the members of James Street Baptist welcome our group year after year.  A lottery win couldn't cover the costs that they incur .... wear and tear on their building, heating and electricity costs, plumbing, stripping the floors, etc. And still, every year, they send US a letter thanking US for our service.  How remarkable.
Please don't feel obligated but, just in case you would like to visit the church one more time before November, a kitchen cleaning "party" is taking place on Sat. April 5, from 10 until 1 pm.

To our favourite McMaster students who have earned many credits and invaluable lessons at OOTC, "remember that your character is your destiny."  Your presence has meant so much.

So, everyone.... please keep in touch over the spring, summer and expect a call from your cheerful volunteer coordinator in the fall.   After a fulfilling winter, have a fulfilling rest. Better weather ahead!!!

Cindy

Response:

Dear Cindy,
Does this mean there won’t be any letters for a while? I love reading your summaries, observations and reflections! You have been a wonderful coordinator for the program and a fine friends to our many guests.  They will miss your kind words and gentle ways. Thank you  for your dedicated leadership and service to the community.  Enjoy the “off season” with your family.
Best wishes, Norma

Cindy: Thank you for the privilege of “serving” such wonderful people.  And also for the pleasure of working with our dedicated and caring team.  May we all continue to spread Light and Love.

Hugs from Helena (Posner)


Hi Cindy - thank you for all of the very informative (and interesting) e-mails you have been sending these weeks.  I look so forward to turning on the computer after volunteering on Tuesday night to see what you have sent - I am really going to miss your e-mails! (and volunteering Tuesdays.)  I hope to come back in November - seems like such a long time from now.  See you on the 8th and thanks again for everything!

Diane (Watson)

Cindy, thanks for the opportunity to see for myself what the OOTC program is really about.  Over the course of the last few weeks and months I have read your weekly email, I have listened with interest and I have asked questions of you and the members of your army that I knew were involved, to find out more about the work you all do.  Of course it is not easy to determine who your volunteers are because, as I have come to learn, those involved don't make it well known what they do on Tuesday or Wednesday and they certainly don't look for recognition, they just do it. Still one can never fully understand the extent of the problem of the hungry in our community or the level of commitment of you and the volunteers without being an eye witness to it. And my eyes were certainly opened by what I saw this past Tuesday.

I think the word that best describes how I felt during my visit was overwhelmed.  I was overwhelmed by the number of people in need of a good meal, I was overwhelmed by the level of involvement of so many of our friends in the community, I was overwhelmed and impressed by the organization of the program and the understanding and co-operation each volunteer had of their role and the roles of everyone else, I was overwhelmed and impressed by your personal knowledge of so many of the "guests" and the way you cared for each and I was overwhelmed by my feelings that I should have been more aware of and more involved with the OOTC program years ago.

I am not sure how my interest in your program will manifest itself going forward but I certainly will support OOTC and do whatever I can to help. I will certainly try my best to assist you in any way you may need me to from time to time.

I wish to applaud you and all of the volunteers and thank you for taking on something so meaningful and, unfortunately, something so crucial, to the welfare of our City with such unselfish levels of commitment.  I am impressed with and proud of each and everyone involved in the OOTC program.

Yashir Koach
Ira Greenspoon


Hello Ira:
Just knew that you'd be blown away! One of the sights that you didn't see was that there was another OOTC church 2 blocks away feeding 94 more guests! Over the course of the last few weeks and months, I could tell that your interest in our group was peaked.  Many people just like to pretend that the needy don't exist and or feel that "someone else will take care of them."  You, and many of our friends, on the other hand, are a different story! I feel that it's important to let our volunteers know the human side of this urban legend, and appreciated your responses and support.

You're welcome anytime, Ira.
Cindy