On Sunday, November 18, GMC guests had a special treat: sloppy joes, potato and egg salad, rolls, pickles… all organized by Georgetowner Maggie Handel.

Maggie wanted to provide a nice lunch for Georgetown Ministry Center’s members and created the idea of a “Sloppy Joe Challenge,” rallying Georgetowners and neighbors to help chip in, whether by providing a jar of pickles, cooking the sloppy joes, or loaning a slow cooker. She first posted on the Georgetown Forum asking for six volunteers to prepare the menu for twelve lunches each and deliver them to the GMC at the appointed time. Only one eager volunteer stepped up to the challenge then: Anna Harris, who not only cooked for twelve people but also made homemade rolls!

After asking for help on the forum, Maggie told us, “Once I realized the Forum response was light, I sent a plea out to my neighbors. We’ve developed a friendly & supportive block community at N & 27th through the Georgetown Block Captain program. They rallied to my call and delivered the scrumptious home cooked food.”

Everyone loved the food, and the next morning they were still raving about how delicious it was.

We are so lucky to have friends like Maggie. She drops by our center with toiletries and special treats like nail polish for our ladies, supports our knitting group, and comes up with new ways to give, like this Sloppy Joe Challenge. What we like so much about Maggie is that she is so community-oriented. She is a Georgetown Block Captain and also understands that the homeless are part of the Georgetown community. She could have chosen to order food or cook it all herself, but instead chose to rally friends and neighbors to work together. She is a true friend and community organizer.

Of course, we must give thanks to everyone who helped Maggie with this project! A big THANK YOU to the following people:

• Anna Harris, who helped cook and serve
• Amanda Peterson, who helped serve
• Gail McKee, who cooked
• Kirk Jeffery, who cooked
• Lara Potter, who cooked
• Ev Phipps, who cooked
• Maria Garcia, who loaned her crock pot
• Erin Reeder, who also loaned her crock pot
• Enjum Hamid, who also loaned a crock pot