Fall 2011 Issue 19
DDB Mission:
Feed the hungry & provide services for the homeless of Harrisburg.
Inside This Issue:
• Sharing The Harvest
• Hunger Garden
• Dauphin Mental Health Partnership
• Social Networking
• Liberty Bell Award
• New Board Members
• Client Report
• Planet Gumbo
• Keeping Up With The Weather
Downtown Daily Bread
310 N. Third Street
Harrisburg PA 17101
www.downtowndailybread.org
Elaine Strokoff
Executive Director
717-238-4717
Brenda Ervin Kitchen Manager
717-238-4718
Cody R. Thomas Weekend Cook
717-238-4718
Christine Patrick
Client Caseworker
717-238-4718
Linda McGuire
DDB News Editor
We welcome your suggestions, comments, and feedback.
Quote: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia, Author
From The Director From Director
Sometimes it is just fun to throw a party! It is even better to throw a party which will help others. This is what our Downtown Daily Bread fundraising event on Friday, October 14, 2011 at Historic Harrisburg Association hopes to achieve. The fall is a time of “harvest and gathering” to prepare for the long winter ahead. Our DDB fundraiser will help us do just that. With proceeds from sponsorships, ticket sales, and raffles ticket purchases, DDB will be able to buy food and kitchen supplies to help feed clients through the winter. As food prices continue to climb and client numbers continue to grow, it is imperative that we look for creative ways to raise funds. Why not have fun at the same time?
The “Sharing the Harvest” event will be a time for the community to come together for a common goal: to feed the hungry. Our evening will feature delicious appetizers, wine and cheese pairings, musical entertainment, art displays, raffle prizes, and most importantly, good company. In addition, we are excited to partner with Historic Harrisburg Association, another important community organization. You will love their grand building, a former brownstone bank with a rich history. The space will take you back to a kinder, gentler time where buildings were works of art made in marble, granite, and fine woods.
Please mark your calendars for this special evening of community fellowship and partnership to benefit those in need. I look forward to seeing you on October 14th as we work to “gather and harvest” for Downtown Daily Bread.
Elaine
Who’s In The Kitchen? Who’s
DDB clients enjoyed a special treat on August 24th when Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton brought his Traveling Gumbo Show to DDB. Sauce Boss has toured throughout the US and in Canada and Europe for over twenty years, cooking gumbo on stage for over 175,00 for free. He mixes his own spicy original music—Florida Slide Guitar Blues—and adds his famous Liquid Summer hot sauce right into every cooking demonstration of his own gumbo recipe. It’s a multi-sensory soul-shouting picnic of rock and roll brotherhood. For more about the non-profit Planet Gumbo Foundation visit http://planetgumbo.org From everybody at DDB, “Thanks, Sauce Boss!” We loved it!
Chance Encounter?
Weekend cook Cody Thomas shares his introduction to DDB: “I can remember praying last November, asking God for a job or a place where I can give back, to those less fortunate than myself. I saw an ad for a cooking position and called, and wow it was Downtown Daily Bread. I did not come down right away, but when I did I was greeted by Ms. Chris, DDB counselor, who informed me of the position. The following week Ms. Elaine called me, and once again God was working for me because I was walking by DDB when she called. We talked and the following Tuesday I was training with Ms. Brenda. I work another job at Ruby Tuesdays, but I really love it here at DDB. I enjoy helping people and I love cooking. But giving is what I want to do. It's all about giving back. God placed me in a great place DDB. Since I've been here I've never felt like not being here, so I know it's not me who put me here. All it takes is a little time to make a big impact on someone!”
on “Sharing The Harvest!”
Remember your friends and loved ones with a holiday donation to DDB made in their honor. A lovely certificate will be sent to your honoree for a “joyful holiday and many blessings in the coming year.” Another gift option is an Entertainment Book. They make a great gift for any occasion. Get yours for $30 at the DDB office.
Sharing The Harvest Ticket Order Form
Please complete the information below and return along with your check to Downtown Daily Bread. Please note all tickets purchased in advance will be available for pick-up at the event.
Yes, I’m looking forward to attending! _____
I need ______ (number) of tickets (Advance Tickets are $30)
I will pick-up tickets at the event!
I won’t be able to attend; however, I want to contribute a donation of _____ tickets
Amount enclosed: ______
My check payable to Downtown Daily Bread will be my receipt and is enclosed.
July Emergency
I was on my way to talk to the DDB counselor that morning, when I spotted a young man in his mid thirties sitting in front of the counselor’s office. The client looked pale and unsteady. His eyes were closed and he started to sway. The fellow was familiar to me, as I had seen him having lunch at DDB. As I watched him out of the corner of my eye, I wondered if he had been drinking or was on drugs. I did not know that he suffered from severe diabetes. I did not have time to ask when I heard the DDB counselor call “sugar, we need some sugar here.” Within seconds, the young man had gone into a diabetic shock. Chris, Brenda, and a DDB client knew what to do. It had happened before. I will not describe all that went on in the ensuing hour after the attack. I will simply say that I had the opportunity to watch some real professionals at work. Between Chris, Brenda, and a trusted DDB client, the man was cared for with competence and compassion for what seemed like an eternity before the ambulance arrived.
I will not get into the issues of why a man with severe diabetes was homeless, why he was not taking his shots, why he had not had any breakfast, why the ambulance crew knew him by name, etc. It’s all too complex to get into right now. Instead, I want to tell you how proud I was of the DDB staff and helper to do what was called for and needed in an emergency situation such as the one I just described. Our small staff knows individual clients, is aware of their problems, their strong points, and their weaknesses. No DDB client is just a number on a calendar. He or she is a real person with life and death issues. If you are a part of DDB, you too can be proud. We are first rate!
Thank You...Penn State Medical Students who donated furniture for DDB clients. Three DDB clients moving into new apartments received items including TVs, sofas, chairs, dishes, DVD players, tables and household items. These students went beyond volunteering their time, they touched the lives of some DDB clients in a way neither will ever forget. Students and clients agree that this has been a positive experience all the way around.
Attention Facebook Fans
DDB Board Members
The DDB Advisory Board members play a key role in accomplishing the DDB mission and achieving the DDB goals. We want to express sincere thanks as we say goodbye to Diana Miles and Stacy Bruker. We also want to welcome four new members: Diane Jacobs, John Jewitt, Lisa Landis, and Richard Leigh.
We are excited to announce DDB now has a social networking presence. Make sure to “Like” Downtown Daily Bread on Facebook. We will utilize our FB page to better communicate and stay connected with the community. Look for postings on news, events, and how you can get involved!
Thanks to ACS (Art Communication Systems), for printing this newsletter. We are pleased to have a partnership with ACS! Harrisburg’s Premier Commercial Printing Service offers printing, graphic design, sales/marketing, & web development. Call Park Cook, ACS, @ 717-232-0144.
New Staff Position
DDB is now interviewing for an Outreach/ Caseworker staff position. Thanks to collaboration between Dauphin County Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities Program and Downtown Daily Bread, there will be a new staff position at DDB. The new staff person will work with mentally ill homeless clients. If you know a professional who has a background working with the homeless/mentally ill, please advise them to send a resume to estrokoff@ pinestreet.org. Computer skills are required along with a four year college degree. Favorable attention will be given social workers, case workers, nurses, and psychology and sociology majors. Applicants must have a minimum of two years experience in the field. Salary and benefits are competitive. We are pleased to provide this new service to the DDB homeless individuals who struggle with mental illness.
Client Report
2011 Liberty Bell Award
The Dauphin County Bar Association (DCBA) honored DDB with the 2011 Liberty Bell Award. Each year this award is presented to a local citizen or organization “in recognition of their contribution to good government, their promotion of a better understanding and respect for the law and the courts, and an outstanding commitment to civic responsibility.” Dauphin County Bar Association President, Liesl Beckley presented the 2011 DCBA Liberty Bell Award along with a $1,000 Bar Foundation check to Elaine Strokoff at the Law Day Breakfast on May 4th. DDB would like to thank the DCBA for bestowing this prestigious honor upon us. We appreciate the recognition for the work we do in the community!
Keeping Up With The Weather
When the temperatures reached triple digits this summer, DDB opened early for lunch and bottles of water were distributed to clients. Some homeless individuals claimed that DDB had the coldest water fountain in the city. Hand towels were also available so individuals could wet them and put them on their heads to cool down.
Chris recalls one specific case that occurred early this summer: “I was able to use some of what we learned at the mental health first aid job training Elaine and I recently attended. A client come to me Friday at 1pm. She was drinking and suicidal. I talked with her to assess information to see how to best help her. She disclosed information about cutting herself with a razor blade and showed me the cuts on her chest, arms, and stomach. I knew she needed in-patient mental health services before the drug and alcohol treatment could be addressed. I called Roxbury treatment center knowing they offer both mental health and drug and alcohol treatment. Our client did the intake by phone. Since she was suicidal, I stayed with her until Crisis Intervention could arrive. We packed up her DDB locker and I took her to Harrisburg Hospital where we met with a Crisis Intervention worker. She was taken to Roxbury Mental Health Hospital. She was very thankful we were there to help her and I'm GLAD, too!”
Year 2—Hunger Garden
The Capitol Hunger Garden started in Spring of 2010 by the Legislative Hunger Caucus and the PA Food Bank. Thanks to the efforts of participating volunteers, DDB has received donations over the summer of fresh vegetables harvested from the garden. Cooks and clients were most appreciative of the fresh produce in their meals!
This winter when temperatures drop, clients will have to cope with snow and sleet; and keeping warm and dry. Frostbite is cruel enemy to someone sleeping on the streets in the winter and many of our clients suffer from foot related problems. DDB provides extra blankets, mittens, scarves, and hats in the winter, along with heavy coats and boots. Please read our Wish List to find out what other items are needed—all donations are greatly appreciated!
DDB Wish List
As costs rise and resources decline, DDB finds itself, along with other non-profit organizations, in need of additional support. Please help us augment our income with a tax-deductible contribution. If you wish to provide more tangible gifts, please consider donating items:
Lunch Plus Wish List
Disposable razors, deodorant, shampoo, large bars of soap, laundry detergent, men’s & women’s underwear and other clothing, socks, and blankets.
Kitchen Wish List
#10 cans of soups, fruits, or vegetables; coffee; sugar; plastic forks and spoons; napkins; meats; turkeys; hams; and spices. Before we know it, we will be in the midst of the holiday season. Can you imagine a holiday celebration without a delicious meal? Please help our friends living in poverty enjoy a festive holiday meal as we do in our own homes. You can be a part of the DDB holiday experience by donating items or making a pledge to pay $2 per meal to feed 100-150 individuals. Every little bit can make a big difference.
From our kitchen to yours, we wish you and your loved ones a Beautiful and Bountiful Fall Season and Thanksgiving Holiday!
Did You Know?
From April through August of this year, DDB has served 14,020 meals! During the recent flooding (Sept 8-12) when everything else in the city was closed, we served 400 meals. Thanks to our cooks & volunteers!
