Small Group Makes Big Impact at Brisben
Members of the Ellis Small Group recently prepared and served a meal for Brisben Shelter residents. Janet Young contributed this reflection on their experience…
On Saturday, August 20, my husband and I joined other members of our small group to prepare and serve the dinner meal at Brisben Homeless Shelter in Fredericksburg.
Now, this was something a little out of my comfort level. I had never prepared a meal for more than 16 people and had never been to the homeless shelter. On top of that, no one in our group had served at the shelter either. To say we were a little nervous would be an accurate statement.
Fortunately for all involved, the leaders of our small group, Mark and Lynn Ellis, met with the Resident Kitchen Manager, Mark Rector, and past provider Bob Hagan, who provided a tour of the kitchen and answered all of our questions. Praise the Lord, we had nine people show up to help. Our small group members included Ken and Cheri Quattrocchi, Wendy Englund, Kim Hicks, Mark Ellis, Keith, and me. We were also graciously joined by Jeremy and Allison Gauthier who signed up to serve as well.
The meal turned out great. We had plenty of food with leftovers for future meals. It was a wonderful experience and I think everyone had a lot of fun. I want to thank Amy Miller for encouraging our group to serve at the Shelter and giving us all the contact information and an accurate description of what was expected. This was a very rewarding experience, and I would encourage other small groups to think about signing up for an evening to serve at the Brisben Homeless Shelter as well. If a bunch of newbies like our group can do it, anyone can…and it was fun!!
Janet Young
The next Brisben Meal is scheduled for Saturday, September 17. Interested in volunteering? Find more information here or contact Amy Miller at [email protected]
