KOLOA — Tina Brun, emergency food coordinator and kitchen manager for St. Raphael Church, said the delivery of food was timely Tuesday morning.
“We’re doing community outreach this weekend,” Brun said. “We do four, maybe five, outreach a year, and this weekend we’re doing one because it’s the holidays.”
Marissa Sandblom, Grove Farm vice president, said they amassed more than 500 pounds of food and other personal goods, including toiletries and socks, since mid-year.
“A lot of the food comes from people who use the Grove Farm conference room,” Sandblom said. “In lieu of rent, we ask patrons to make a nonperishable food contribution, which goes to the church. This year, we were fortunate to receive a financial contribution from an individual who wanted access to the property, and we used that to purchase materials that fulfills Tina’s wish list.”
Brun said this weekend the church will be doing its outreach program to take care of people on the Westside.
“Last year, we catered a meal for the holidays because it was the church’s 175th anniversary,” she said. “This year, we can’t be doing the meal. Instead, I’ll stop off at Ishihara Market and pay for food that will be set aside for the houseless and families in need so they’ll have something on Christmas Day.”
Household needs, including sheets, towels and blankets, will be set up for people in need during their stops at Westside locations.
“I’ve been doing this too long,” Brun said. “You would think 13 years is long enough.
“But when you see the difference these outreach programs make, it’s all worthwhile.”
