“I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed.” Mary Oliver
There is a lot of singing in the UCO kitchen these days. As more people start to get vaccinated, we are looking toward what it will mean for our many incredible volunteers and our amazing clients. It will happen slowly but we are excited to see some light at the end of this long tunnel.
With your help, we fed over 550 people in the past month. Mel stayed busy with the kitchen crew. This past Sunday was enchiladas, rice and beans. Our guests love the food.
We continue to supply grocery bags to those who need a little extra help each week. We are happy to share some of our food with DAYS as well.
Celia and Ann have stayed busy this month as more requests for help are coming in. Celia is working hard to keep our seniors housed. We also have new clients who need help. Long Beach has a new program to help people with rent and utilities- Ann and Celia are starting to help people with the application process.
This week we are asking for your help in collecting peach/fruit cups, mac n cheese, soups, tuna, spam or other canned meats (with pop off lids) and bottled water. Donations may be dropped off at our alley door on Saturday, 10 am to 12 pm. UCO staff will set up a table in the doorway at the second alley door and donors are asked to put donations on the table. Staff will remain on the other side of the table and keep a safe distance from donors. If you want to help but can’t make it Saturdays, you can also send a check to UCO at 241 Cedar Ave, Long Beach CA 90802.
As always, we are grateful to you for your support. The UCO staff wishes you a very happy spring!
Gratefully,
AnnAnn Schmidt-Lampe
Interim Director