MATCHAN MENU December, 2020 - Matchan Nutrition Center
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MATCHAN MENU
December, 2020
Volume 12, Issue 4
www.matchannutritioncenter.org
Co-Editors: Frank Schmid & Betty Esnault
_________________________________________________________________________________
The Christmas Feelings Ladies of Charity Support
Normally at this time of the year, everyone would be The Annual Ladies of Charity Turkey Drive was
looking forward to Christmas celebrations, family extremely successful this year. We received 181
gatherings, festive meals, turkeys. Gary Kozlowski delivered 130 frozen
holiday decorations and turkeys to the kitchen the week
Christmas High Mass with before the drive. They were
lots of music for some or given away to those that we
maybe the Children’s serve. Gary, his son, Jeff, and
Pageant followed by Mass. his granddaughter, Syndey,
But this year is different. brought 12 more on the
So was the summer and the Monday of the drive. All but
fall and it won’t change for 34 of the 181 turkeys were
quite a while. We are in frozen. The cooked turkeys
this for the duration but no one can say how long the were de-boned on
duration will be. We should wash our hands, put on Tuesday. Approximately 200
our masks and try to get as comfortable knowing that sack lunches
someday it will end and we can be socially active containing two hot
again. turkey sandwiches
were made on
It is also a special time of the year our thoughts turn Tuesday. The rest
to giving thanks during the past year. That may be of the cooked de-
hard for someone who may have lost someone boned turkeys were
during the year. Think of that
person as a Saint who you can frozen for use later. The
pray to for help instead of frozen turkeys were shared
praying for. Or maybe you lost a with two other St. Vincent de
job and are having a difficult Paul Conferences.
time supporting your family. Hopefully your family We received $5100 in the
is still together and cares for you and one another. collection. This is an all-time high. People were
Maybe you and your loved ones are still safe from extremely generous. 108 people participated in the
the virus. That’s something for which to be thankful. drive. The cash donations will help with operating
If you have to, look hard and pray hard to find costs, as well as food when needed.
something to be thankful for. For when you find it, Matchan is very grateful for the Ladies of Charity
it will bring you great comfort. May we all and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish for their
remember something for which to be thankful, the continuing support. It has been at least 27 years
true meaning of Christmas and have a Blessed New since Barbara King started this collection. Kelly
Year in spite of current conditions. Monahan suggested the Easter Ham Collection in
2011 and Bridget Bealin and her group made nearly we feel it is important to report to you, each year,
1000 masks for Matchan so far this year. Matchan is through this Newsletter and on our website,
thankful for its partnership with the LOCs in the past (www.matchannutritioncenter.org).
and looks forward to a healthy relationship in the Covid19 affected almost everything we do at
future. Matchan. We never stopped serving. We never
I want to thank Mary Ottney of the LOC for her closed. But on March 12th, nine months ago, we
efforts as Chairperson and for coordinating the drive switched from serving hot meals inside to handing
and helping to collect the turkeys. As usual, she did out sack lunches outside. Volunteers would work
a great job. outside, sometimes in the hot sun, sometimes in the
rain and later in the year, they would work in the
Take-A-Sack and Bring-It–Back cold. On November 17th, the operation was moved
This is a program at Our Lady of the Lakes (OLOL) inside.
Catholic Church in Waterford run by Artha Matchan is both a soup kitchen and a pantry.
Horowitz, Head of Christian Service. For a three The pantry saw major changes also, even more so
week period, bags are handed out at the church along than the kitchen. Times
with a shopping list. People return the bags with are tough. People are
their food donations per the list. This year she looking for more than just
collected 450 bags. With the help of her daughter, a sandwich. We set up an
Grace, the Knights of Columbus and the 8:15 Mass outdoor market place. The
attendees, the bags are removed from the church and food seemed to disappear.
placed in the community room until they are Our main source of
distributed. milk, eggs, meat
This effort is duplicated twice a year. They also products, fruits and
have a Turkey drive for Thanksgiving. This year, vegetables is Gleaners.
they donated 150 bags and approximately 30 turkeys Normally the van
to Matchan. Our Lady of the Lakes’ support is not would pick up 500 to
new. Their St Vincent de Paul Society donates 600 pounds of food
SVDP vouchers for the SVDP Thrift Shop which are each week. Now we
given to our neighbors when they need clothing. pick up well over 3000 pounds.
Matchan thanks Artha and the people of OLOL for Because of a generous donor named Gary in Royal
their generous contributions of food, vouchers and Oak, 130 turkeys were
their personal time. given away for
Thanksgiving. It was a
2020 Year End Report real surprise for the people
Our mission at the Matchan Nutrition Center is to shopping to find that they
serve hot, well could pick up a frozen
balanced meals to our turkey on the table.
neighbors in need and Volunteers are the backbone of our operation. We
to provide other life had 76 regular volunteers before the pandemic.
changing assistance Today Matchan operates with about 25 volunteers.
that leads to self-sufficiency locally in Oakland There are some who are willing to come but the
County. Our ability to carry out this mission present group consider themselves safe and are
depends greatly on the support of our donors and reluctant to invite new people. However, 36% say
volunteers. The reason they could not come back at this time.
that Matchan has been
successful is that The total number of volunteer hours was 19,023 last
people believe in what year. This year, only 16,200 hours. In-kind
we do and the way it services totaled $34,000. This is down 46% from
is done. This is why last year. For the first 28 weeks, our guests could get
legal advice at no charge every Tuesday from
Christian Legal Aid Program lawyers. Almost
every day, one of 15 government and/or social Ham Drive for us each year. Government funds
agencies set up a table in the diner to give help came from EFSP (Emergency Food and Shelter
and/or advice to our guests. For example, flu and Program) and Oakland County Covid funds
Hepatitis A shots are administered free of charge by through United Way. All the money t is used to
Oakland County Primary Health Care. These are support our mission.
important services that are provided at Matchan at no Where does the money go? Operational costs were
charge but during the last 24 weeks these services $88,445 this year. The
were not available. average cost per meal
The Kitchen: 20,616 people were served this year. was $4.29. The food
Before the pandemic, we served cost for sack lunches is
hot sit-down meals. After a lot more than for hot
th
March 12 , we served sack meals as discussed in
lunches. Attendance rose our June Newsletter.
steadily to 277 until the end of The food cost jumped
April and then settled down. from $0.60 to $3.
Even so, the number of people People responded very generously after reading the
served during the pandemic increased by 13%. June Newsletter and we thank you again for your
donations back then. We also have to thank Meijer
The Pantry: During the pandemic there was a
for their Simply Give program.
notable increase in the need
for food to be taken home Meijer Simply-Give program matches donations
for use during the week. As made to Matchan at its 12 Mile and Telegraph store.
mention above, we increased This year we spent $25,089 in Meijer food cards. If
our intake and distribution of you do use the Meijer Program, please send us an e-
fresh food. During 2018-19, mail at machan.svdp@gmail.com , so we know who
the panty distributed 130,000 pounds of food. In you are and we can add you to our donor list.
2019-20, 326,248 pounds were given away. Funds We had bad luck with our freezers this year. We
required to operate the pantry are primarily the cost
lost three of our six freezers. Bill the freezer-man
of the van to pick up the food which was has been repairing our cooler and freezers free of
approximately $753 this year. They share the charge for many years. He suggested that we should
kitchen facility and purchase very little food. stop buying home type equipment and go
In-kind goods totaling over $928,000 were picked commercial. Before we replace them, we are
up from Gleaners, Costco, looking at changing to a walk-in freezer. Any advice
Panera, Whole Foods, would be helpful.
Ellen’s Cafe and Gordon Other Activities: Often we have a clothing table
Foods. This is 60% more where clients can get gloves, hats, coats and various
than was picked up last year. other clothing. St. Vincent de Paul Detroit provides
Excess donations were us with $4,000 in vouchers for clothing at the
distributed to other organizations. SVdP Thrift Stores that we have available for our
Where does the money guests. Some SVdP Conferences earn vouchers at
come from to support the stores and donate them to Matchan.
the Matchan operation? Hygiene kits are still assembled and made available
We had about 215 to our guests. Sleeping bags that are made by
donors last year. This Helping Hands in Troy are given to those in need.
Chart summarizes from The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department donates
where the funds come. approximately 150 coats each year. Matchan
19 SVdP Conferences purchases emergency clothing such as boots or
are on our donor list. work shoes that are not available at the SVdP stores.
Vincentians are individuals who belong to SVdP We serve as a USDA Food Distribution Center
Conferences. The Ladies of Charity (LOC) four times a year but this year it was reduced to two
conduct a Thanksgiving Turkey Drive and an Easter because of Covid19.
The Matchan Nutrition Center
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable
organization sponsored by Oakland County
District of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. Take
a look at the Matchan website at
http://www.matchannutritioncenter.org/. It is a
Lord, story book about the Matchan Nutrition Center.
make us mindful of Find out how you can help with your time and
the needs of others. talents.
If you are able and we have convinced you that
what we do is worthy of your support, you can
help financially by making a donation on line or
mail it to: Matchan Nutrition Center, PO Box
NEEDED 430954, Pontiac, Michigan 48343.
Boots
Send comments to: matchan.svdp@gmail.com
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