Name: Anne Mack
Grade: Lower School
Organization: local homeless
Hours: 9
On February 6, our family and my sister’s family, the Dehesas, made hot oatmeal and hard boiled eggs for St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church’s Saturday meal program for the homeless in our local community. Following Mrs. Lora Allison’s easy directions to prepare 35 individual servings, we made the oatmeal with milk and water, spooned into individual hot beverage cups, added brown sugar and raisins, secured with lids and loaded into plastic boxes to keep warm. We boiled the eggs the night before so they would be chilled. We joined Linda Morales from the Church and other volunteers who hand out sack lunches each Saturday morning in the parking lot of the El Patio Restaurant in Capo Beach. The men at the spot were eager to get their hands around the hot cup of breakfast.

The need exists every week and the Church is always looking for volunteers. This was a great family service project for us. Mrs. Allison provided the easy steps to follow to make the oatmeal and the hand-out procedures. The round trip to El Patio was under an hour. It’s very easy for young children to participate—our Preschooler and Lower Schooler added the brown sugar and raisins and helped affix the lids. And, it sparked many great questions and conversations. If you are looking for a service project for your family, this is a great way to jump in, no training or registration required, and get involved!