Project Kengikat

Welcome to Project KengiKat, my online blog where I discuss issues surrounding homelessness, HIV, AIDS and so much more. To learn more about my community work, please visit my website.

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Cooking for Holidays

// September 26th, 2009 // Uncategorized

As we approach the time year with most people are thinking about family and how they will show them how much they love and care, as we make our plans to have dinner with loved ones, friends and in some cases even alone, I am hoping that each of you will take some time to consider those who dont have a family or friends that they will be spending the holidays with. They will not be making any travel plans, nor will they be driving across town to be with those who care for them.

Many people will be counting on the kindness of others to do all they can to make certain that they too have a decent meal in a safe place made by people who truly care. It is estimated that there are some 60 to 80 thousand homeless people in Los Angeles County, since I was homeless for 29 months, I know this number is much higher and those in need of decent food, clothing and shelter is far greater then this.

As many of us start to make our plans for Thanksgiving, how and who we will spend it with, I am making plans to do all I can to help those who will not have the pleasure of being with family, friends and loved ones. I am making plans to do all I can to help those who have far less.

For the month of November and in honor of Thanksgiving I am going to feed homeless people Thanksgiving day through my Do Something Saturday~ that empowers people outreach and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving my Unpluggin HIV~empowering a positive life outreach will return to Skid Row to be of service to 40 residents living with HIV and AIDS as part of my way of simply showing some love and respect to people who are in need.

Already I am working hard toward both these goals and I know as long as there is a God I will be able to do both outreaches. However as many of you know I am on a very low income, so there is no way I will be able to do this without the help of all my supporters, so I am hoping that each of you will do all you can to make this happen.

Thanksgiving on the streets was no fun and there wasn’t a lot of love felt either. Many people who go to volunteer do so for the wrong reasons and this comes across on their faces and in the actions and their words only help to reinforce this. So like with all my feedings I will make sure that anyone who comes to help will do so in love and respect for humanity.

My goal is to provide 15 meals to homeless people on the streets and then 40 meals for people living with HIV and AIDS down on Skid Row. The meal Thanksgiving Day will be a traditional Turkey dinner with all the trimmings and the one that will take place the weekend after Thanksgiving will be a Cornish Game Hen dinner with Wild Rice, Mix Vegetables, bread salad and dessert.

The outreach on Skid Row like before will also provide hygiene items as well as gently used clothes and shoes. Thanksgiving Day will also provide a Do Something Kits to people living on the streets.

So like most outreaches I have my work cut our for me and already I am working hard at making both outreaches a complete success.

As many of you know cooking is what I have done most of my life and it is a huge part of my outreaches to both homeless people and people living with HIV and AIDS. This will not be the first time I have planned a holiday dinner for people in need. Back on 2007 for Easter I planned and with the the help of some very cool people fed over 150 people an Easter Dinner. Since that tine I have cooked several meals for homeless people and for low income families.

Sunday Dinner is now a huge part of my outreach and this consists of home cooked meals that are cooked by me and delivered to homeless people living on the streets. So far I have done 5 Sunday Dinners serving over 125 meals to people in need. Kick Start meals is yet another way I do all I can to help feed people in need. Most times Kick Start meals goes with the Do Something Saturday outreaches and most times it too is a home cooked meal.

I love what I have created and I love the people I serve. My outreaches are about love and respect and restoring dignity and pride to people who go without. With each outreach I do, I see the smiles and hear the heart felt thanks for the people who receive it.

One Response to “Cooking for Holidays”

1. Shelley Wilson says:

   October 28, 2009 at 1:53 am

   Your food looks so good. I really love how you use pictures to help paint the picture of what you are saying. I’ve noticed that with many of your blogs they are clearly part of the work you have done for the day or even just parts of you day just like these food shots. You are such a very inspiring person

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