February 15, 2008

 

 

Dear Homeless Shelter Food Team members for 2008,

 

            Please read and save this, as it will be the only reminder sent except for updates to the schedule.

 

            Here is the information we will all need to provide meals for the Homeless

Shelter during the coming year. 

 

1.      Enclosed are:

 

  1. The current list of participants.
  2. A schedule of dates and commitments for 2008.
  3. Directions to the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.
  4. One possible meal plan.  We've continued to use it and to receive good reviews from the men.

e.   Guidelines from East End Cooperative Ministries.

 

2.   Everyone has agreed that if a scheduling conflict occurs for any group, that

      group would be responsible for finding substitutes to fill in for them, rather than

      having us handle it.

 

3.   The Shelter is housing up to 45 men each night.

 

4.   The meal should be on the serving tables at 7:45 p.m.

 

5.   Sometimes, men with substance abuse issues are required to attend a meeting before

      they can eat. This meeting begins at the same time as dinner. To accommodate them,

      please ask the shelter supervisor how many dinners to set aside.  The men can heat

      them up later.  On one particular evening, this came to 10 meals, leaving about 35 to

      be served in the regular way.

 

6.   The congregation will again provide $30 per meal.  Each group may contact the

      Dor Hadash Treasurer for reimbursement up to $30.

 

            Thanks again.

 

                                                                        Best wishes,

 

                                                                        Cliff Davidson and Nancy Merenstein

 

 

 

 

 

 

-2-

 

Homeless Shelter Food Team, 2008 (only adults are listed)

Allen Baum                                                       371-6399         AllenBaum@aol.com

Liz Witzke-Baum                                                    "                             "

Sandra Budd                                                    421-4565         engle@pitt.edu

Cliff Davidson                                                   682-3380         cliff@cmu.edu             

Megan Davidson                                                    "                             "          

Ruth Drescher                                                  521-5978         rdrescher@hotmail.com

Sy Drescher                                                           "                             "

Erika Fricke                                                           --               efricke@ppwp.org

Steve Hankin                                                    241-5106         jankelly01@comcast.net

Janice Kelly                                                            "                             "

Bruce Herschlag                                                                       Bmhersch@aol.com

Mary Korytkowski                                                                   korytkowski@dom.pitt.edu

Melissa Jones                                                         --               mcjones116@comcast.net       

David Klahr                                                      363-4137         klahr@cmu.edu

Pam Weiss                                                             "                             "          

Robert Kraftowitz                                             241-6305         gordonj@pitt.edu

Janice Gordon                                                        "                             "

Nancy Levine-Arnold                                       362-8746         nqlevine@mindspring.com

David Levy                                                       784-8212         levy0111@comcast.net

Deborah Levy                                                        "                             "          

Nancy Merenstein                                            521-2262         nanwm@verizon.net

Anne-Marie Nelson                                          521-2931         ammizel@verizon.net

Ed Nelson                                                              "                             "

Wendy Osher                                                   687-0485         wendy.osher@verizon.net

Brian Primack                                                                           bprimack@pitt.edu

Jen Primack                                                                              jenprimack@yahoo.com          

Jerry Rabinowitz                                             241-8131          rabino@verizon.net

Miri Rabinowitz                                                      "                 miri.rabinowitz@verizon.net

Arlene Stromberg                                             241-1378         stromberga@yahoo.com

Dan Warner                                                           --               arendt_1@yahoo.com

Pat Weiss                                                         420-5134(h) 648-2040(w) pwf+@pitt.edu

Roye Werner                                                    247-4604         rwerner@andrew.cmu.edu

Barbara Wolvovitz                                            422-5808         bmw@fgsmlaw.com

                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                        -3-

 

Schedule for 2008 (only adults are listed)

 

January 9

 

 

 

February 13

                                                 

                                                  

 

March 12

                                               

                                                  

 

April 9

                                               

 

 

May 14

                                               

                                               

 

June 11

                                                                                                                                      

July 9

                                                                                                                 

 

 

August 13

                                               

                                               

 

September 10

 

                                               

 

October 8

                                               

 

                                               

November 12

 

                                               

                                               

December 10

Levy (3), Merenstein (1)

 

 

 

Davidson (2)

 

 

 

Herschlag (2), Wolvovitz (2)

 

 

 

Nelson (2), Blee-Goldman (2)

 

 

 

Drescher (2), Stromberg (1), Primack (3)

 

 

 

Levy (3), Levine-Arnold (1)

 

 

 

Rabinowitz (2), Weiss (1)

 

 

 

Budd (4)

 

 

 

Klahr (2), Baum (2)

 

 

 

-- (Yom Kippur)

 

 

 

Werner (1), Osher (1), Hankin-Kelly (2)

 

 

 

Kraftowitz (2), Jones (1), Warner-Fricke (2)

 

-4-

 

Directions to East Liberty Presbyterian Church

 

 

1.      From Squirrel Hill/Shadyside area, take Fifth toward East Liberty.

2.      Left on Penn Ave.

3.      Pass Giant Eagle on left, then cross Shady Ave. and immediately get into left lane.

4.      Continue into East Liberty shopping area.

5.      Left on Highland.

6.      Right on Baum.

7.      Right on S. Whitfield.  Park on this block next to church.

8.      The entrance to use is in the middle of the block.  Go down the short staircase, then walk to the right and you will come to the door of the Shelter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-5-

 

 

Preparing a meal for EECM Homeless Shelter

 

Although this is a meat chili, it's a good idea to prepare a few portions without the meat.  Occasionally, some of the men will be vegetarian. 

 

Prepare enough food for 45 men.  The men enjoy the chili we prepare, so here's the recipe for those who would like to try it.  It can be prepared in advance (in fact, improves with time.)  Preparation time is 1-2 hrs. (Shortened by institutional cooking equipment).

 

Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

12 lbs. chopped meat

18 lbs. of canned kidney beans

9 lbs. of canned tomato puree

4 cans of stewed tomatoes or cut tomatoes

Garlic - 8 cloves or equivalent in garlic powder

Salt

Chili powder (The Food Co-op has a chili powder blend which worked well using 

            1 tablespoon per lb. of meat)

Optional:  Carrots, green beans, etc.

 

You will need 3 large skillets and 3 large pots.

 

Sauté the onions, green pepper and garlic in small amount oil until the onions are translucent.  Divide among the pots.

Brown the chopped meat.  Typically, no oil is needed.  Divide among the pots.

Open the beans. Don't pour off the liquid.  Divide among the pots.

Divide the remaining ingredients among the pots. 

Divide the chili powder among the pots.

Season liberally with salt and pepper.  Cook on a low heat, stirring often to avoid burning.  Cook until you like the taste, about 30 min.

 

We also bring:

3 large bags of chopped cheddar cheese

4 loaves sliced bread

Salad - easiest to purchase 10 bags of cut lettuce (but don’t get the kind with exotic

 lettuce types)

3 large bags of “baby cut” carrots - cooked for easier chewing.  Can add butter.

45 pieces of fresh fruit

Cookies - 140-150

5 liters soda without caffeine and 3 large jars of juice.

 

We bring ranch dressing for the salad and a tub of margarine for the bread. 

Total cost is about $110.

 

 

-6-

 

 

The Shelter’s kitchen is well equipped with large serving bowls, trays, ladles, etc. There is a large gas stove to reheat the chili.  We find that it takes at least 3/4 hour to warm up the meal. You should probably arrive about 7:00 to be ready to serve the meal at 7:45.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-7-

 

(Below are guidelines provided to us previously by EECM)

 

GUIDELINES FOR SHELTER VOLUNTEER GROUPS

WHO BRING MEALS TO THE MEN'S SHELTER

 

Thank you for your interest in the Men's Shelter volunteer opportunities.  Each month many volunteers from various congregations and service organizations prepare and deliver home-cooked meals to the 40-45 homeless men in the EECM Emergency Shelter.  This service is greatly appreciated by our staff and the men we serve.

 

All Men's Shelter meals are scheduled through the EECM office.  Please call 412-361-5549 if you, or your group, would like to volunteer.  Once you have offered to deliver a meal, it is essential that you show up.  If there are any problems at the last minute and you are going to be late, please call the shelter at 412-362-6854.

 

EECM SHELTER SCHEDULE:

The staff and the homeless men arrive at 7:00 p.m. and dinner should be ready at 7:45 p.m.  The shelter supervisor and guard stay all night.  It is helpful to arrive with the meal by 7:00 p.m., or before, to allow for setup time.  The kitchen facility at the shelter may be used for final preparation of the meals.  The volunteers (with the help of the supervisors) set up and serve the meals and facilitate the cleanup.   If you need to arrive early to use the oven to reheat, please call 412-361-5549 in advance to make these arrangements.  Volunteers may arrive anytime between 7:00-7:30 p.m.  You will probably be finished by 8:45-9:00 p.m.  The volunteers must always have an escort back to their cars by the supervisor or guard.  This is a necessary precaution and we appreciate your cooperation. 

 

MENU SELECTIONS: When preparing a meal, please plan your menu to feed 45 men.  Foods preferred by the men are basic meat (or meat dish), pizza, vegetable, salad, drinks if you wish (no caffeine please), fruit, bread, desserts, or any combination of the above.  The Shelter serving utensils are limited.  Feel free to bring your own.  We suggest you serve normal portions and offer seconds, if there are any leftovers.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Although we encourage the volunteers to interact with the homeless men, we ask that the volunteers respect their privacy and cooperate with the staff.  We are here to treat the men with dignity, serve them an evening meal, and visit with them as seems appropriate.  Thank you for remaining in the small dining room or the food prep area while you are at the shelter.  The homeless men are allowed time to take a shower and prepare for the night before dinner.  We are sure that all the volunteers understand the need for privacy even in the midst of this very public setting.  Therefore, we ask that the volunteers do not go into the men's quarters beyond the supervisors checkpoint table.  Due to the space restrictions, please keep your delivery team numbers small.  We suggest no more than 6-8 people in a group.  While serving the meal remain behind the service table to allow for the men to move around the dining room.  THANK YOU for your interest in joining us in this ministry.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please call 412-361-5549.