Hi all,

Just a few notes to recap the second meeting of Servants at Heart – our group continues to move ahead with enthusiasm and hope! 

In old business, I have confirmed with Sydne at Matt Talbot Kitchen (MTK) that our contributions are tax deductible; each team member on the roster will receive a form from MTK to calculate their own contributions.  Also, any large donations from outside the group can be facilitated through MTK for a receipt to the donor, we just have to contact Sydne to arrange this.   This gives us some time to decide whether to seek non-profit 501(c)3 status for Servants at Heart at some point in the future.

I am deeply indebted to David Frye, my friend and fellow Servant in Denton, for agreeing to host the Servants at Heart website/blog on his business site.  My goal is to get our communications posted to our new site before our next meeting.  I will email everyone the link when things are up and running.  Thanks again David!

We also discussed the uncertain future of the Blue Valley Community Action branch in Osceola, and the detrimental effect it would have on our neighbors in need here in Polk County if the branch should be forced to close due to funding issues.  Those receiving services would be referred to York or Seward if this happens.  We discussed the possibility of reaching out to accept some of the local hunger relief functions (like the food pantry) if Blue Valley does close the Osceola branch.  The group felt this could be a natural extension of the community garden project.  Pastor Donna will speak with the local coordinator about this possibility. 

A meeting has been scheduled (and subsequently re-scheduled) with the administrator of the local nursing home to discuss the possibility of including the residents of the home in our community/communal gardening project.  This would have several benefits to the residents, from simply watching the garden grow, to participating in some raised bed gardening if they are able.  The meeting is scheduled for September 2nd at 5:30pm to discuss this with them.

We then discussed our meal plan for October.  We discussed varying our menu from month to month, in rhythm with the types/kinds of food that are in season at that time.  As such, we felt it would fit well to plan October’s menu around root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions), winter squash, and apples.  We are focusing on preparing an autumn/harvest stew, fresh yeast bread or corn muffins, and a homemade apple crisp made with local apples.  Leah will speak with Sam Rystrom, owner of a local orchard, to see if he will allow us to pick apples for the dessert.  I will approach a local potato farm in Duncan, NE to see if we can pick up potatoes left behind after the harvest.  We are planning to prep the meal and cook the desserts at one of the church kitchens in Stromsburg or at Rosey’s kitchen, on the Saturday or Sunday before the meal, perhaps sharing a supper with one another after our cooking efforts are complete.

Our next meeting is Monday, September 8th at 7pm at Rosey’s.

Well, that’s all for now.  I have to get to work! 

Peace and joy to each of you,

Jason Rosenkranz

Hi all,

I’ve taken the liberty to draft a mission statement for Servants at Heart.  I would greatly appreciate it if you could read and comment on the statement’s clarity, focus, and scope.  We can discuss this more at the meeting on Monday, but ponder this in the mean time.  Thanks for your continued support and enthusiasm!

MISSION STATEMENT

Servants at Heart is a community of people dedicated to heeding the call to love one another, in the spirit of Matthew 25:35-40.  Together, we reach out with compassion, grace, and humility, to feed the hungry and homeless, welcome the stranger, and visit the sick, lonely, or imprisoned. In doing so, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every human being, and strive to create opportunities for all to serve according to their ability.

Jason Rosenkranz

“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat.  I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.  I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”         – Matthew 25:35

Hello all…

I need a team. 

I am looking for 15-20 (or more) people that will commit to help provide, prepare, and serve meals to the homeless and working poor at Matt Talbot Kitchen in Lincoln beginning in September.   An opening for an evening team has occurred in their schedule.

The meal will be served on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, from 5:30-6:30pm, followed by cleanup.  The Kitchen serves an average of 150 people per meal.  Food preparation may be done off site, and transported to Lincoln if desired.   Six to eight team members would be needed to serve and cleanup at the Kitchen during our scheduled time.  Plan to be in Lincoln from late afternoon until about 8pm.  It is possible, if our team is large enough, that we could split the team up into even or odd months.

As the cost of food, its preparation and serving is borne by the members of the team, this will be a recurring investment of time and a moderate investment of money, perhaps $15-30/month, depending on our team size.  Commitment and dedication will be key to sustaining the team.  I’d ask you for a commitment of three to four months to provide the team with some measure of stability.

Now here’s the twist…

I’d like to add depth and elegance to this effort long term by creating a substantial community garden here in Stromsburg.  Beginning next spring, I hope to develop a garden to provide fresh fruits and/or vegetables as raw ingredients to feed the hungry – not only at Matt Talbot Kitchen, but right here in Polk County too.

Those in poverty often lack the essential nutrition that comes from fresh produce.  It is a challenge to serve nutritious meals to the homeless while keeping costs manageable.  The prospect of carefully raising fresh food to serve at the Kitchen and share with our neighbors is, I think, a profound expression of our collective humanity and the call to love one another. 

Again, the size of this effort will be directly proportional to the number of people that want to participate.

Please give this careful consideration.  As a former volunteer at the Kitchen, I can tell you it changed my heart in profound ways.  I feel compelled to fill this need.

The 1st meal we would serve will be Tuesday, September 16th.  Time is short, and the need is urgent.

Organizational meeting: Tuesday, August 19th, 7pm at Rosey’s, downtown Stromsburg.

If you have any questions in the meantime, call me at 764-2673 or email me for more information. 

If you absolutely know you want to serve this need in some way, either at the Kitchen or in the garden…I’d love to hear from you early.   The volunteer coordinator at Matt Talbot is awaiting my reply.

If you know someone who might like to help, please forward this to them.  I have faith that this message will find the right people.

If you are unsure or even skeptical, I’d still love to see you at the organizational meeting. 

Together, we can make a difference.

Visit www.mtkserves.org for more info on the Kitchen.

Visit www.communitygarden.org for more info on community gardening.

Jason Rosenkranz