12/15/08 - Women's Dinner was Yummy!

Thanks again to the hard work of our volunteers, we had a delicious dinner served up and filled some hungry bellies. Also, we had a lot of new volunteers this time around and they were all wonderful! Thanks to everyone who came out to Breakthrough for the first time. We appreciate all the help that you were able to give! :)

The menu was amazing (much thanks to Rebecca) and consisted of Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes and the best Broccoli that I've ever had - along with some delicious homemade sugar cookies, thanks to Rachel's mom. With the weather being so bitter cold outside, it was nice to have piping hot food to offer the women staying at the shelter - and I'm sure it made their day a little warmer too.

Speaking of the cold weather - we heard some good news a while back that the women's facility just received funding so that it can stay open 24 hours. This is marvelous news! Now the women will have the option of staying at the Joshua Center during the day and taking care of their personal business in the warmth and safety provided there. :) WooT!
The new 24-hour policy is not in effect yet, but is starting on January 1st, 2009. What a great way to start the new year!

12/11/08 - Dinner was perfect!

Thursday night's dinner was a huge success! Everyone had a great time and the guys really appreciated us taking care of everything, even clean-up. :)

The room was set with tablecloths, breadbaskets and even candles at each table. Plus, our wonderful hostess, Lauren - did a great job of setting the mood and helping our guests feel cared for before they even sat down.

After sitting down to their tables of four (each named after a reindeer) - the guys were introduced to their own two servers. Then the guys had their choice of several different items - a few different main dishes and they got to choose 2 side items from a list of about 6. Shrimp, steak, corn casserole, green beans, potato salad, cheesy potatoes, roasted red potatoes, the list goes on and on!

They had a great time! We heard lots of laughter and served lots of seconds. Plus, the kitchen staff did an amazing job of getting the order out for the servers in record time!

It was a truly amazing time and I feel really blessed to have been there to experience it. :)

I'm excited for next time...

Men's Dinner - Restaurant Style!

The Christmas Season is upon us once again. And this month, in an effort to share part of what the Holidays are all about, we've decided to do something extra special for the guests at Breakthrough.

On Thursday, 12/11/08, we're going to serve dinner at the men's facility restaurant style. This is different than anything we've ever done at Breakthrough before and we're very excited for this extra special serving opportunity! We need lots and lots of volunteers for this to work, though - so spread the word among your own circle of influence.

We're going to need (no experience necessary):

• wait staff
• cooks (prepare and bring side dishes and/or dessert)
  
• kitchen staff
• bussers (to refill water and bread baskets as needed)

If you've ever even thought of helping out before, this is the month to come on out and give it a shot. I promise, you won't regret it! :)

As always, let me know if you have any questions or problems - and keep in mind that you need to let me know if you'll be joining us so that I can have an accurate headcount.

We really hope to see you at this extra special Holiday dinner!

Love and Hugs!