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Light Under the Bridge Ministry helps Seattle's homeless.
I hired a chef once who was living out of his van in a parking lot, and I worked with a chef who lived under a bridge in Seattle.
Both of these men were young, fresh out of luck and hard working. They both lived a hard life in a few years but they were still willing to work hard for a living. The wages that the food service industry offers sometimes doesn't barely cover the bills. It is hard to live and work in the Seattle area, and people are forced to live in the streets. I see these people everyday and the groups are getting larger.
Many chefs in the area, myself included, volunteer for organizations such as Light Under the Bridge to help those in need.
Working in Seattle, I have fed a lot of our homeless. I feed people; that is my job.
The food service community in general, works closely with the homeless. We have donated tons of food to food banks this year–and it's not as easy due to very strict food donation rules. Food charities use the rules set by HACCP (Hass-sip), which was created to feed the astronauts.
Sure, it is much easier to throw the food away, but that wouldn't help others. We cook for everyone in Seattle.
Light Under the Bridge needs supplies right now. The folks who volunteer cook for people who are living under our freeway bridges, and they need more food to keep up with demand. The ministry needs your help with some basic donations. This non-profit has been created specifically to deal with the growing homeless population living under the bridges and freeways in and around Seattle.
Its mission is simple (see below); please help these folks by offering what you can. Beyond food donations, Light Under the Bridge can accept most anything–it can even accept frequent flier miles.
Light Under the Bridge's mission statement:
We go on Saturday mornings at 9am to under the freeways and bridges looking for the homeless. We bring them a sack lunch, soup, coffee, and water. We also bring whatever clothing, jackets, gloves, shoes, and other supplies that may have been donated with us. But more than food and donations, we bring them a friendly face. We treat them with respect as a human being. We listen to their stories. Our friendship has meant so much to them. They look forward to our visits with tears in their eyes. We bring them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, pray with them, and minister to them. We let them know that they are not forgotten.
For more:
Light Under The Bridge Homeless Ministry, 224 SW 153rd St #146 Burien, 206-420-4545. Email questions to hkerkof@comcast.net
Comments
They meet the very basic need of the people without considering anything else. Truly Jesus in person. Who better to help then a bunch of people who work with food? Especially right now. The face of the homeless is changing. It could be the person who sat in the cubicle next to you last year or served the meal you prepared in the restaurant that had to close it's doors. But for the Grace of God...Be blessed Chef Shiss.
To date we have gotten 7 people off the streets and into Christian Rehab Centers
We filled up and overwhelmed Freedom House…they have been in operation for just a few months….our missions takes longer because we build relationships with these people and it continues after they are in a rehab situation….just this week Hope and Kevin made contacts with other Christian based rehab homes in Seattle and now have options in Shelton and a variety of other states
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