Sunday Breakfast Mission service
University students pack Thanksgiving donations for local families in need
1:37 p.m., Nov. 19, 2015--University of Delaware Residence Life and Housing Alternative Break (RLHAB) participants visited the Sunday Breakfast Mission shelters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday, Nov. 7, to help sort food used for the upcoming holidays.
These shelters house more than 280 homeless men, women and children nightly and offer substance abuse programming, community meals, free clothing and furniture and a career education center.
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During the holidays, especially during the Thanksgiving season, Sunday Breakfast Mission provides more than 1,000 families with large food boxes, turkeys, pies and rolls.
During RLHAB’s time there, the participants sorted donated items in the warehouse, including rice, mashed potatoes, canned vegetables and other Thanksgiving food. The students packed these items into boxes to be delivered to the families of Wilmington.
"I walked in overwhelmed by the amount of boxes of food we saw when entering the warehouse,” said RLHAB service ambassador Tayler Liedke. “I couldn't fathom the amount of food there was and how many people donated to make a collection of that size.”
The shelter expects to make 2,000 Thanksgiving packages this year for families in need.
“We were able to give two hours of our time to help those in need, but when you think about the number of people who have donated food and volunteers who will come to put together these 2,000 packages, we are just like a seed in a garden,” said Liedke. “I've come to appreciate how a little can go a long way. It really takes a community who cares to make such an dramatic difference."
While the Sunday Breakfast Mission still has many Thanksgiving boxes to make, RLHAB members were able to put a holiday meal on the table of many families.
Residence Life and Housing Alternative Break (RLHAB) is a student-led organization within Residence Life and Housing that provides students the opportunity to participate in standalone service events throughout the year leading to a week-long service experience during spring break, where students travel to different cities to assist with various community needs.
There are multiple fundraisers and service events throughout the semester to support the motto, “Start with RLHAB, Grow with Service.”
For more information on how to get involved with RLHAB, contact rlhabreaks@gmail.com.
Article by Brianna Ciancaglini