chipotle.in.the.park

In April we had an idea to have the next event catered with food from somewhere established. We wanted the food to be something that offered choices so that anyone who was in line felt that they could decide how, and what they wanted to eat. We know that many people who are hungry and without home don't always get a choice. We believe that the simple act of being able to make one  again will ingnite something within them. With Chipotle offering catering services and how many unique ways you can get your own meal, we decided to throw a Chipotle in the Park event to kick off the spring/summer season!

This was a larger undertaking than normal and we were able to connect with alot of people that helped with their time, donations and support to make it all happen. Without everyone pitching in however they could, this day would not have been, and we are FOREVER  grateful to each of you for that. 

We were blessed to receive so many generous donations that not only were we able to hit our goal of getting catering for over 100 people, we were able to buy lots of fruits, drinks and snacks to offer too. All of the clothing and personal items donations were generous as well, everyone was able to get something if they needed it, and there was such a diverse array of things to choose from.
Again, thank you to everyone that gave.

The event itself was held on May 3, 2014 and after all was said and done we were able to feed close to 200 people. You could tell everyone that came through the line was really enjoying it. One man even joked and yelled out to us "how dare you treat us like humans, and offer Chipotle!". 

We are humbled to see how the event has grown each time we have done it. It started out three years ago with 2 or 3 of us making a few bags to hand out. To see what it has become because of everyone that has gotten involved, it truly awesome. These events wouldn't be what they are without the people that literally help us serve, and keep it running smoothly every single time. Thank you SO much to our crew that always puts in a ton of work, and with a loving heart. You are appreciated.

We look forward to incorporating new ideas and resources that have been shared with us, as well as the possibility of taking The Give Love Project to other cities. We are so excited about the possibilities and how many people have taken this concept on as their own as well. That's what it's all about.

*ThoughtFULLness is spreading*

the.next.event

december.two.thousand.thirteen

We were blown away by the amount of clothes and items that people brought to donate. Thank you so much for taking time out on your Saturday to come and be involved. We were able to serve almost twice the the amount of people as we did last time and we were able to give away countless numbers of much needed items. The people we got to meet were so incredibly grateful, some of the them were able to get shoes, suits, jackets and other items that really lifted their spirits.

Two awesome things happened that day as well. While we were serving a man rode up on his motorcycle, donated to the event and then asked if he could jump in line and help serve. It was such a cool thing and we were definitely blessed to meet such a warm hearted man. A few minutes later another man drove up and drove off a couple pairs of shoes and some clothes he had in car. He said he had been looking for a place to give them and then he saw us on the corner so he stopped. We just really love the free flowing effect of love that the event had. We want anyone an everyone to feel involved and like they can just jump in and connect with what's going on. 

We will be going out in smaller bursts over the next few weeks. We plan to do a pizza run to some of the metro stations late at night. Homeless people are not allowed in the parks after 7:00 so they are pushed to different areas of the city and we found that Metro stations become one of them. So getting a dozen pizza's and heading out is on the horizon. 

november.two.thousand.thirteen

While this was not our first time going out, it was a huge first for us. We started this little project of ours back in 2010. It was just the two of us and a few bags of warm weather items to give and we did it on a random Tuesday night. Months later Kevin shared how he saw it one day being an event in the park, where there was music and a buffet of food and we could truly connect and serve people that needed some extra love and a real meal.

Over the last 3 years we have watched it grow and it watching it take new forms and new shapes has been like a little adventure for us. But on November 23rd the meal in the park became a reality. We pulled up to Franklin Square Park in downtown Washington DC and set up a hot food buffet. Our talented friend, Ernest, played guitar and created such an awesome atmosphere whie we were able to meet tons of people. 

To just go out and do something felt so freeing and really allowed us to have a whole new experience will the people we got to connect with. It was awesome to see how if you want something to happen, just go out and do it.