How
Many Come?
The number of
sandwiches is an estimate. In good weather we serve 80-100
people at worship, and another 30 as we walk
up main street.
In the rain,
in spring, summer, and fall we serve 40-50 during
worship, and another 10-20 on the streets.
Winter worship
with the sun shining brings out 40-50 during worship,
while a cold and wet day may mean 25. Of course the
cold also makes people hungrier, so having a third
sandwich is a treat.
At worship it
is nice for people to have the option of 2 sandwiches.
GUIDELINES
Warm, Dry
Weather: We
need at least 120 sandwiches
and 120 snack items.
Warm, Wet
Weather:
We need at least 75 sandwiches
and 75 snack items.
Cold, Dry
Weather:
We need at least 75 sandwiches.
Cold, Wet
Weather:
We need about 60 sandwiches.
WHERE
AND WHEN?
Deliver lunch
Sunday afternoon by 12:15 to the plaza behind city
hall on Front Street in Worcester. (Park on Franklin
Street.)
While we don't eat until about 1:45 it really
helps your group if we can tell you about set-up at 12:15.
And it helps us get organized!
We hope that
some members of your group will stay and join us for
worship and lunch. If you are bringing a large group,
make extra sandwiches. The ministry is about sharing
and we expect participants to eat with our congregation.
LUNCH
ONE AND TWO
Lunch
ONE is 60 sandwiches and snacks (plus one for each member
of your team). If you can bring a cooler with juice or
hot chocolate, and cups to serve, that is great. (Let
us know!) Other optional items listed below are welcome.
Lunch
TWO is based on the weather forcast. Take the suggested sandwich
total above, and subtract 60, and add one for each member
of your team. Then bring hardboiled eggs and socks as
well.
Other optional items listed below are welcome.
OPTIONAL
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
Perishable
Snacks: Homemade
cookies, brownies, and other perishable snacks are
a treasure. These are not required, but are widely
appreciated! Bring NO MORE than one for each sandwich
made.
Fruit:
Fruit is very popular. Bananas, peaches, pears, berries,
oranges, tangerines, etc. Also containers of applesauce
or fruit compote... don't forget spoons! Apples are difficult
to eat. Bring about 1 fruit item for every 2 sandwhiches.
Hard-Boiled
Eggs: Soft and nutritous, these are very popular.
Decorated, they make every Sunday about resurrection!
Just 2 dozen eggs expands lunch beautifully, but
we can use as much as 1 egg for every sandwich.
Unperishable
Snacks: Chips, nutri-grain bars, store bought cookies
packages of crackers & peanut butter or assorted
crackers can be inexpensively bought
in bulk packages at BJs, Sam, etc., and are especially
handy because we save extras for a week when we are
short on sandwiches. In general choose items that are
soft and chewy; many of our congregation do not have
good teeth.
Drinks: We
use about two cans of powdered fruit juice mix a week
when it is warm, and two can of instant hot chocolate
when it is cold. If you bring a can we'll use it the
next week. And CUPS!
We also need about one case of juice boxes for street
ministry each week.
Socks: There
seems to be no limit to the number of socks we can use.
It would be great to have at least 60 pair every week-but
we could easily hand out 100. White, new, men's and women's
sport socks. Crew are great in the summer, longer ones
in the winter. If you have time, unbag the socks and
fold each pair into a bundle.
Hats, Gloves,
Scarves: These are popular items all winter long.
Tight knit and dark colors seem to be the preference.
Leather work gloves are popular as well. No children's
sizes needed, and very limited women's sizes.
Underwear: We
hand out single pairs of mens and women's underwear
if it is requested. Please bring these separately from
socks; we have a volunteer who organizes sizes and
bags these items for a future week.
PLEASE NOTE: We
do not have a clothing ministry. Please do not bring
clothing to worship. The
Corner Shop in Holden is a supporter of our ministry,
and provides clothing for our parishioners in need, and
we'd love if you donated your clothing there.
Miscellaneous
Larger Items: Hand Cleaner: we need a large container
for worship every quarter or so.
Powdered fruit punch
mix: we make 5 gallons each warm Sunday. Powdered Hot Chocolate
Mix: 2 gallons per winter Sunday.
Cups: we use 40-50
per week, cold in summer, hot cups in winter.
Pizza:
for about 10 people on second sundays at 4pm.
Old Umbrellas!
We leave them out when it looks like it might rain.
Other Individual
Items to hand out: Gifts
for holidays: we've given out red scarves for pentecost,
colored eggs for easter, candy bars for Christmas.
Creative ideas welcome!
Dunkin Donuts cards or McDonald's Gift Certificates in
the summer give access to the bathroom while the library
is closed.
Bus tokens are often requested.
Individual sized hand sanitizer is very popular.