On the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown catered Thanksgiving dinner for Georgetown Ministry Center members, which we held at Grace Church. What a treat! Turkey, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, butternut squash soup, and several types of pie… our members left happy and full. I asked everyone what their favorite part of the meal was, and almost everyone answered that is was the butternut squash soup! If you get the chance, stop by the Ritz and try some. It is truly delicious!
On Sunday, November 18, GMC guests had a special treat: sloppy joes, potato and egg salad, rolls, pickles… all organized by Georgetowner Maggie Handel.
homemade pineapple upside down cake
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:
Come spend a crisp fall afternoon doing yoga to help the homeless!
YOGA FOR THE HOMELESS
As part of Fannie Mae’s Help the Homeless campaign, Georgetown Ministry Center will be holding a yogathon to raise awareness about homelessness and to provide a fun and active way to support the good work that they do.
The first yoga session will begin at 1PM on the lawn of Grace Church and will be instructed by yoga teachers from the local area. (More details to come.) Each session will be 45 minutes long and will start on the hour (1pm, 2pm, 3pm)
Mats will be provided, but participants are more than welcome to bring their own. There will be multiple sessions throughout this three-hour period and participants are welcome to come and go as they please. Come enjoy a beautiful fall day in October on the lawn of Grace Church at 1041 Wisconsin Ave, NW. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved from the lawn to inside the church.
What: Yoga for the Homeless, as part of GMC’s Help the Homeless fundraiser. The registration fee for participants 26+ years old is $30, and $20 for those 25 years and under.
Who: This event is open to everyone of all ages and abilities
When: Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 1pm – 4pm
Why: To raise awareness about homelessness, support GMC and the good work they do with the homeless, and to get some exercise!
Are the following events taking place on September 27th on your agenda already? Please come out if you can!
Grace Church’s Music on the Lawn, 5-7pm
The 27th marks the last of this year’s Music on the Lawn series at Grace Church. Local performer Holly Bass and her Jazz Band will be performing. This event is run by Grace Church, but GMC has a table at the event with lots of amazing crocheted items for sale! Everything for sale was made by one of our homeless members and all the money we raise directly benefits that artist.
CAG Panel Discussion on Homelessness, 7pm – 8:30pm
After Music on the Lawn, the Citizens Association of Georgetown will be having their meeting (open to all) inside Grace Church. They are partnering with us and Grace Church in order to present a Panel Discussion on Homelessness. This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the relationship between mental illness and homelessness, discover new points of view as speakers from various fields talk, and listen to the testimonials of those whom homeless has affected directly and indirectly.
Please join us at the next Citizens Association of Georgetown meeting for a
Panel Discussion on Homelessness
Hear from experts including
Gunther Stern, Executive Director of GMC for 22 years;
Psychiatrist Dr. Ronald Koshes, who has been working with the homeless at GMC for almost two decades;
Legal expert Brian Stettin, Policy Director of the Treatment Advocacy Center;
and personal accounts from the homeless, formerly homeless, and families of the homeless.
Come to the meeting to hear about why people are living on the street of Georgetown. Learn if it “helps” to give money to people on the street. Discover some of the mental illnesses that affect many homeless individuals. Listen to the stories of those also affected by homelessness: the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers of people who are homeless.
There will be a reception starting at 7:00pm at Grace Church, followed by the panel discussion and Q&A at 7:30pm. Grace Church is located at 1041 Wisconsin Ave NW, a block south of Wisconsin and M Streets.
