Homemade?!
In our town, churches and synagogues take turns operating as overnight homeless shelters. Sophie and I have frequently baked for various churches associated with this program and Bill has worked the overnight shift supervising one of the shelter sites. The guests must be out of the building by 7:30am. On these bitterly cold days our church also operates a warming center for homeless people so they can keep warm until the shelter site reopens before dinner. The doors of the fellowship hall stay unlocked allowing guests to sit and talk, watch TV, play games and get a snack. Donations from restaurants of hot soup appear and guests are given packets of tissues, chap stick and coffee. Seeing a Facebook post that donations of treats would be welcome soon after I had just taken something out of the oven, I turned the oven back on and whipped up a quadruple batch of peanut butter granola bars in about 10 mins. I figured the protein and fiber would be good. We wrapped them individually in wax paper to keep each one fresh and make them portable.
When I walked in the church door I saw two men and offered them each a bar. Looking at the tray I was holding one asked, “Homemade?!” “Yes!” I responded, “Just for you.” He took one and thanked me. Another man came over to see what I had and asked, “Homemade?! You made these?!” “Yes. Have one,” I responded. Home-made. For people who are home-less. Should you like to donate something to your local shelter during these cold months but don’t have time to bake, pocket tissues, chapstick, hand lotion, socks, hats and gloves would be welcome as well.
yes. it's my real name. 