Today’s blog is from our partners in nicaragua, Samaritans international

As you know, Nicaragua was hit by two hurricanes within 15 days of one other. Both came inland on the northeast coast of the country. Over 60,000 people have been affected by these storms. We have been working in areas closer to Managua where we normally work that were also affected by the large amount of rain that came with these storms. Rivas Department, which connects to Costa Rica, was one of the most affected. Many families lost everything; the major help that has come to Nicaragua because of these storms has gone to the northeast, and no one has helped the families we are trying to help.

We have Servants With a Heart meals, which we have been distributing, but these families need much more help than we are able to give. Samaritans International has continued to focus on the areas we have already been working in, and with all of the damage from the storms the need is overwhelming. So we made a decision to continue working in the same geographic areas, focusing on communities hit hardest by the storm.

We continue to take food to people affected by the hurricanes, and it is an honor to be able to share God’s love with these people, many of whom lost everything. Many communities were cut off from all road access, so boats were used to take food and supplies to them. We were blessed to be able to help through our network of friends; it allowed us to even reach some new areas with the love of God.

Please continue to pray as we have two full containers of food in the customs clearing process and we need that food to be able to continue helping these areas.

If you would like to help in any way, please contact Patrick at patrickbrown@siofnica.org.

Today’s blog is written by SWH volunteer Ellie Laymon, a current student at Wheaton College.

Since 2011 Servants With a Heart has partnered with dozens of Charlotte-local organizations to pack and distribute over 20,000,000 meals to families in need. For nearly 10 years the primary way SWH has served and fed Charlotte and Nicaraguan communities has been through equipping churches, schools, and organizations like the BoyScouts or businesses like Red Ventures with the resources to host meal packing events.

However, like many other luxuries, from eating out at restaurants with friends, to going to your favorite concert, the global Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way the world operates, and nonprofits like Servants With a Heart have taken some of the biggest hits. At a typical meal packing event, upwards of 150 people from a school, church, or other organization would gather together in a large space and serve side-by-side, packing 50-100K meals in 2 hour shifts. But with the concerns of Covid-19 in mind, for several months SWH, and many nonprofits like it have had to put production on hold, and the communities that were previously being served felt the effects.

We also know that not only has the pandemic affected SWH, the way people can serve, and the communities in need of food, but if you have served with us before or have been missing opportunities to serve in your community, you might be feeling like something is missing too. If you feel like you’ve been lacking in making a tangible difference in the world around you, here are 3 ways Covid-19 can’t keep you from making an impact.

sign up for weekend packing events

Whether it’s the inability to connect with members of your church through in person services, feeling a lack of fulfillment in work, or an overall sense of a loss of purpose, one of the best ways to get, is to give, and the global pandemic has made this increasingly difficult. For many people 2020 has been a rough year, but with the opening of Perry Brown Mission Center in Waxhaw, NC, SWH has been provided a place for organizations to come and serve in a Covid-safe environment.

Most months, Servants With a Heart posts about 3-4 weekend service opportunities that anyone can sign up for to come and serve. Each shift is 2 hours long and you can sign up with your family/friends in groups of 4-6, 2-3, or even as an individual. With the opening in August of this year, this opportunity has been a privilege for many people who have missed the ability to serve others to come together, to get to know people in their community, masked and socially distanced, while still making an impact on so many.

In a standard 2 hour shift, each person contributes to making around 300 meals, which translates to feeding a child for about a year! Because so many people in the Charlotte area have felt this desire to serve and there are few places where this is possible, sign ups for these weekend service opportunities have been filling up fast. The best way to stay connected is to sign up for the email list (if you haven’t already!) at the bottom of the Servants With a Heart homepage so that you can be notified when service opportunities get posted.

make a financial contribution

If you find that you are unable to serve in person, you can still play a part in the packing and distribution of meals to families in need. Servants With a Heart operates with no overhead and warehouse and meal transportation are funded by the Brown family; however, the cost of the meals themselves is not. Each packed meal costs about 15 cents (there are six meals per bag) and at a weekend service opportunity, each person in a two hour shift is responsible for packing 300 meals, costing about 45 dollars.

If serving in person at these weekend events isn’t something that works with your schedule, or health complications are of high concern, one way that you can keep serving your community is by donating to make weekend packing events happen. Just a one time donation of 50 dollars packs enough meals to feed a child for an entire year!

Another way to make your contribution have an even greater impact is by asking the company or organization you work for to match your donation at whatever ratio they’re willing to support. By simply partnering with your business, the contribution you make can double (or more!) the amount of meals that are being funded for children and families in need.

serve socially distant with your team

Although many people have been able to return to their offices and places of work in the fall of 2020, there are still a good number of people who have not been able to (and current circumstances are making returning even more difficult for many). Whether you have been able to return to work or are still operating remotely, connecting with your staff or team at work has been a challenge for all, especially outside of the office.

In the past, SWH was able to partner with organizations and come to their facilities to set up and pack meals, but with the complications of Covid and efforts to ensure everyone’s safety, this simply isn’t feasible on a large scale. Since the opening of Servants With a Heart’s first permanent facility, however, continuing to partner with larger groups and organizations is now possible again.

Any day of the week, businesses can partner with SWH in groups of anywhere from 20-40 people to come and serve alongside each other in a Covid-safe manner to connect with their team and make a lasting impact on those in need. In a standard 2 hour long shift, a minimum of 20 people could pack 6,000 meals for children and their families in Nicaragua and the Charlotte area.

All that is required is that your group (whether individually or corporately) raises the money needed to pack enough meals for a standard shift. Practically speaking, this would be $45 per person or a collective $900 for a minimum group of 20 people. This new opportunity for safe and efficient meal packing allows you to come together with the people in your office, boost morale, and be a part of something bigger than yourself. Have fun getting your team together, raising the money, and serving those in need while making the much needed connections with those you work with.

As you might know, Hurricane Eta made landfall in Nicaragua on Tuesday, November 3 with nearly 140 mph winds and bringing with it catastrophic flooding. Our partners, Samaritans International, have a facility that includes living spaces, a school, a church, and a warehouse in which they store our SWH food, in Pochocuape, just outside Managua.

We spoke with Patrick via WhatsApp Wednesday night and he tells us they continue to have rain and it looks as though much more is coming. He is full of praise that his family and the Samaritans staff are all ok, though they have had trouble from the high winds. Today (Thursday), they plan to go to some of the areas that were hit harder to see if they can help.

We continue to pray for their safety and that they will be able to reach those who need help and be able to provide them with food!

Today’s blog is from Brandon Faulkner, swh program director

During my last ten years of managing meal packing programs, I’ve had a lot of questions about where we get ingredients and what happens after the meals are packed. A lot of things have to go right to hold a packing event and get food to its final destination…

It starts with a seed of faith. Our sponsoring groups, supporters, and volunteers faithfully give of their time and resources so we can provide for people they may never meet in a far off land they may never visit.

Second, it starts with a literal seed. Farmers throughout the US provide us with vegetables, rice and soybeans. American manufacturers make our vitamin powder, boxes and bags. Thanks to the efforts of many people, raw ingredients and supplies arrive at our warehouse for storage to then timely usage at packing events.

Once the meals are packed, the next leg of the journey begins with loading a shipping container to be picked up from our warehouse. It is then transported to port where the container is loaded onto a huge cargo ship where it spends a couple of weeks on the ocean before arriving in the port of Corinto, Nicaragua. Upon arrival, the food goes through customs inspections before transport to a warehouse in Managua where it is picked up by our partner, Samaritan's International to go to their facility.  Once in the SI warehouse, the meals are distributed at multiple sites to 60-100,000 people who rely on our food weekly.

So, as you can see, by the time the ingredients get from seed to the mouths of hungry children and their families, the meals have been through a lot and traveled a great distance! Thank you to all who make this happen.

Today’s blog is written by SWH Leadership team member, Cynthia hair, about her fellow swh leadership team member, Jeff Wilson. He specializes in distributing swh food throughout the greater charlotte, NC area

“. . .my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”  Mr. Rogers

Let me introduce you to one of these helpers. His name is Jeff Wilson, and while he is on the Leadership Team for Servants with a Heart (SWH), he is also a volunteer. Jeff organizes local food distribution for SWH and also volunteers with several other organizations around the Charlotte area. It would be safe to say that he sees firsthand what is going on around Charlotte in terms of the hungry being fed. There are many places around town where hungry people can get a meal. One homeless person Jeff spoke with told him that in Charlotte, a person will never starve; he or she may be hungry for a day or so, but there is always somewhere to get food. 

One of the places Jeff distributes SWH food is the Galilee Refugee Settlement Center. Although it is officially closed now, there is a volunteer who sets up a food distribution station in the parking lot. During the first week of the pandemic back in March, this center served fewer than 30 people; now over 100 families are being fed. Many of these people work in the hotel industry and do not have jobs right now. Jeff’s heart was warmed by the person who set up the distribution on her own and kept the food coming, despite the fact that the center was closed.  

Second Harvest in Charlotte uses SWH food in its food backpack program, some of which might be distributed to Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. Currently over 18 schools there are using bus drivers and teacher’s assistants to help distribute food to families in their district. Not only does this get food to the people who need it, but this system has enabled bus drivers and other staff members to keep their jobs. In addition, many needy children receive SWH food through schools in Union and Anson counties via the nonprofit Food for Families, which hands out over 400 bags of food each week. Rock Hill schools receive SWH food as well.

Common Heart in Monroe, another organization that receives SWH food, has seen a huge increase in families that are in need.  Many who dropped off and donated food before the pandemic are now driving up to receive food themselves. Over 300 families now are being fed by Common Heart.   

“There is a silver lining,” comments Jeff.  He has been amazed at the goodness of people in general, stepping up to help others, which is something not often covered in the media. Besides volunteering at SWH, Jeff makes to-go bags that he and his family hand to homeless people in Charlotte. He also knows of others who, when ministries are shut down, have continued to help the homeless by preparing food in their own houses. 

During this season, SWH opened a new permanent packing location at Furniture Factory Outlet World in Waxhaw.  SWH Impact Days (when any volunteer is invited to pack with us) fill up as soon as they are posted on the SWH website. Jeff says that people want to help and be a part of something bigger than themselves. On our own, we can do a little, but when we come together, our impact multiplies.

When I told Jeff what an inspiration he is to me, he humbly said, “It’s not me, it’s the Holy Spirit in me… and my daughter got me going.”

Here are Cynthia and Jeff, on our SWH 20 millionth meal day!

We are thrilled to announce the official opening of the Perry Brown Mission Center at Furniture Factory Outlet World in Waxhaw, NC. Servants With a Heart now has a permanent packing facility!

Through the generosity of the Brown family (our partners at Furniture Factory Outlet World and Samaritans International) and other friends, we now have a space where we can pack meals regularly. Last weekend, we opened the PBMC with a great group of volunteers and during the final shift packed SWH’s 20 millionth meal (see photos below and here is a link to a great video about last weekend)!

During this time of Covid-19, most of our regular packing events have been canceled, resulting in a loss of about two million meals that should have been on their way to Nicaragua. While we can currently only accommodate up to 40 people at a time (in socially-distanced family groups or others who have been exposed to one another) at the PBMC, once the virus is gone, we will be able to fit larger groups.

For now, we are packing on most Saturday mornings and will continue to send out emails and post signup information on our social media channels.

In addition, as most of you know, we have never been able to accommodate smaller groups (our minimum for packing events at other locations around Charlotte is 50,000 meals). With the PBMC, your group of 20 or more people can pack meals with us and simply pay for the food you will pack (roughly $45 per person). Please contact us if you are interested in bringing down your coworkers, team, troop, or other group!

“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

Today’s blog is an update from Patrick brown, who runs samaritans international of nicaragua, where we ship much of our food

Living in Nicaragua has always been challenging for many reasons. During these last few months, as the world has been dealing with the Covid issue, the Nicaraguan government has not enforced any type of standards for protection. We have lost pastors who run feeding centers, as well as people from our local Pochocuape community. Here at our free Christian school, we put together a distance learning program, which may sound easy, but is not! Due to the lack of internet, computers, and smart phones (which our student families cannot afford), we have to make copies of study guides, worksheets, tests and all the other materials needed for education. The students come to our gate on different days to pick up the latest guide and turn in completed work. The teachers are still working from home, so we take all the work to each teacher’s home weekly.

Unemployment was higher than ever after all the political issues in April 2018. Our blessings have continued, however. We have some meat chickens for our family as well as home-grown vegetables from our garden. Our animals have been blessing us with new babies as well as fresh milk. This coming week we will bless many people with two containers of meals from Servants With A Heart, which we will deliver to some of the most rural communities in Managua. 

Thank you to all the Servants With A Heart volunteers—you are truly saving the lives of starving children and families in Nicaragua. Our prayers are with all of you during this hard time. Thank you for your support and prayers!

Love, The Brown Family in Nicaragua

The experience of one of our SWH Leadership team members, Cynthia hair, and her family as they pack food during this unusual time

My family and I have been joining Servants With a Heart packing food while following social distancing protocols. We have loved making an impact during this pandemic by being able to pack food for distribution to people in our area in need. The first event we participated in was just with the leadership team and their families to see how we could pack and maintain social distance from those who were not in our family group. Jeff and Suzanne Yoh, the founders of Servants With a Heart, were packing with their children, too—but keeping a watchful eye on how to improve the process while following Covid19 guidelines. There were some minor changes after the first event, but all in all our leadership team felt like this was something that could be done with success.

Here is how we do it: Families or groups that have been isolating together sign up together. The exact number of people attending is crucial.  Each part of the process has a certain number of people needed to do the job. The first section of the packing process is called the food group, scooping the 4 ingredients into the bag. This can be done with 4 to 6 people; my family got to do this and we had a pretty good flow going even while we danced in our spots to the upbeat music played during the event! The second section is the weighing and sealing process. This can take 2 to 3 people. The third section is counting and boxing, which is usually for single individuals. There is a 6 foot separation between each section, and all participants sanitize hands and wear gloves and masks.

Since the first event, my family and I have been in different sections, depending on how many of us sign up and attend. I am planning to bring my 3 year old granddaughter to the one coming up—she can help me with weighing the bags by scooping a spoonful of rice into a bag or taking a spoonful out of a bag, depending on if the weight needs to increase or decrease after all the ingredients have been added at the food group section.

I am very thankful that there is a safe place to serve together with my family during this crazy time as we all navigate what our new normal will be.

Cynthia Hair

servants with a heart has been distributing many meals in the local Charlotte area during this difficult time of COVID-19 — Below is some information about one location that has been especially impacted

Refugee Support Services is a 501(c)3 nonprofit post-resettlement organization that helps newly-arrived refugees — and those who have been here for years and may even have become U.S. citizens — make Charlotte their new home. The mission of Refugee Support Services of the Carolinas, Inc. is to facilitate programs and intercultural relationships that promote refugee self-sufficiency and enrich our community. We aim to connect refugees to the greater Charlotte community by facilitating reciprocal relationships between refugees and Americans through the Fruitful Friendships Program, teach self-sufficiency skills to refugees, empower them to thrive in American society through our various programs, including Refugee Help Center sessions, educational programs, and occasional special events.

Currently, Charlotte is home to over 17,000 refugees and former refugees from all around the world.  Charlotte has been receiving refugees from such countries as the Central Highlands of Vietnam; Nepal (folks of Bhutanese-Nepali heritage); Burma (currently called Myanmar); African nations: Eritrea, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda; Iraq, Afghanistan, and most recently, Syria.

With our weekly Wednesday food distribution program, we collaborate with a national food rescue organization, Society of St. Andrew, to provide fresh and nutritious produce to refugee families.  On occasion, we get donations from other area organizations, church garden ministries, and individuals.  As part of the distribution program, we work hard to educate refugee friends in language skills and other important information.  In normal times, we serve 30-60 refugees each Wednesday; during this pandemic, during which many families have lost one or both incomes through unemployment, we are serving 110 refugee families each Wednesday.  We are so appreciative of the meals that servants with a heart has been able to provide us during these challenging times!

Marci Mroz, General Program Coordinator, Refugee Support Services