As with everything else, Covid-19 interrupted this service in March of last year. On-site meals were suspended not only at St. Julie’s but at six other sites in the Conejo Valley. Unfortunately the need for free meals didn’t stop. It increased as more people became effected by local business downsizing and closures.
Harbor House (http://www.harborhouseto.org) took over coordination of the Conejo Valley Meal & Shelter Program in 2019. A local nonprofit, its mission is to offer referrals, resources, case management and a hand up for those who are struggling. By summer of last year it designed a way to restart the hot meal program within Covid guidelines. Instead of nightly sit-down dinners, boxed to-go lunches and dinners are now handed out daily at one central location, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, between 4:30-5:30pm.
Since September, St. Julie’s has been part of a group of churches providing meals for this nightly program. We cater dinners on the first and fourth Saturday of every month. Meal components are prepared at home, then put together and boxed in the parish kitchen. Although we don’t get to meet and interact with meal recipients, there is satisfaction in knowing that we’re providing nourishment to someone in need.
(Matthew 25:40)
If you’d like to cook for the Saturday dinners, please contact one of our meal coordinators:
Kathy Reese (dkreese2@outlook.com) or Marcia Koenig (mmhhhk5@aol.com).
If you’re interested in doing something on your own or as a family, you can sign up directly with Harbor House. They are asking folks to make between 10-50 lunches a day, depending upon what fits your resources and scheduling. For more information on this, go to:
The following are items we’ve found the homeless can use on a regular basis.
WISH LIST:
Cash donations to the ministry also appreciated.
Donations may also be dropped off at the office hours any weekday.
Thank you and God Bless!