“HOLE – Y” OUTREACH
Prior to the Corona Pandemic, Christ Church Episcopal Tulsa served donuts, fresh fruit and chesses & meats after each service for Hospitality to our parishioners and guests. This was part of our gathering together.
With the overwhelming effects of the Corona Pandemic, and the ceasing of regular Sunday worship, we decided to share our donuts (12 dozen per week, plus donut holes) with Iron Gate in Tulsa on Sunday mornings.
Each Sunday morning Deacon Bill goes to church for a short mediation and Morning Prayer (just him and God), and then heads off to the Donut shop.
Scoi Sitis shown in the photo above, has owned Harvest Bakery for 4 years. She and her nephew Seong Chul Sitis are there each Sunday morning preparing our donut order. They have been impacted by the downturn in business, and thus the reason for continuing our donut order weekly. Christ Church felt it was important to support this local business until times are better.
After picking up the order, Deacon Bill drives to Iron Gate in downtown Tulsa to deliver the “goods”. Maybe a few donut holes light upon arrival!!.
At Iron Gate we deliver the donuts to the early morning staff so they can set them out for the homeless who wait for over an hour for breakfast in line.
From the Iron Gate website:
"We feed the hungry of Tulsa - every day.
Iron Gate is a soup kitchen and grocery pantry located in downtown Tulsa, but we provide more than a meal. We offer a safe, friendly and welcoming place to get out of the storm for a couple of hours every day. Although the numbers of people needing food assistance are staggering, they are more than
numbers to us. They are people we know and care about. In 2019, Iron Gate served 233,122 meals, provided 45,630 Bags of Groceries, and distributed 11,053 Kid’s Packs."
So what will happen next?? Christ Church Episcopal is making a commitment to continue this Outreach after the Pandemic has “subsided”, and we resume regular Sunday worship together. This will be added to our Outreach Program in the future. Caring for and Loving our neighbors is part of the Second Great Commandment. We give thanks to all of the many volunteers and groups that support Iron Gate in Tulsa.
Thanks be to God.
Deacon Bill Smith