Normal
“Normal” is a phrase we all hear a lot about these days. We all want to return to daily life before COVID-19; however, adjusting to a new normal is a current reality. Servants with a Heart, like many non-profits, has had to adjust as well. We’ve changed our processes, our location, and our expectations about how many meals we can pack.
Our typical packing events have been sponsored by a business, church, school, or other organization that paid 15 cents per meal and provided hundreds of volunteers as well as space to pack the meals (a minimum of 50,000 meals at a cost of $7500). This is our cost to purchase raw materials and ship the food (SWH continues to operate at cost, with no overhead). This approach to packing food has not been possible the past few months; however, the need for food is great in our local area and Nicaragua.
Our partners, the Brown Family from Furniture Factory Outlet World, donated some space at their store in Waxhaw where we tested out a new, socially-distanced form of food packing during the late spring and early summer. These events were paid for with donations received online (a volunteer will usually pack about $45 worth of food during a two hour shift). We have also used this new process with two local churches who raised their own funds; these events took place both in our space and in theirs.
We have spent the last weeks renovating the new location (if you follow us on social media, you have seen photos of much of the work that has been going on, including installing air conditioning!) and are thrilled to announce the opening of the Perry Brown Mission Center at Furniture Factory Outlet World.
Please join us either or both of the next two Saturdays (August 22 and August 29) to help pack food. We hope to pack SWH’s 20 millionth meal on the 29th. The events are free of charge, but we do encourage those able to donate online or in person to help cover our costs for food and shipping. The need now is greater than ever and we want to continue to pack as much food as possible in our current “normal” for families locally and in Nicaragua.
In addition, the Perry Brown Mission Center will be available to “rent” for smaller events—birthday parties, corporate events, church or youth groups, sports teams, neighborhoods, etc. The minimum commitment would be 20 people at $45 per person for two hours. We can accommodate up to 40 people at a time, divided into four groups of 4-6 people, four groups of 2-3 people, and four individuals. Each group needs to be made up of a family or people who have been exposed to one another so we can maintain our social-distancing protocols.
Thank you for partnering with us.
Tyler Reynolds, SWH Leadership Team member
