November 9, 2021- TOLEDO (Ohio) – For nearly 75 years, Cherry Street Mission Ministries has served individuals who are hungry and experiencing homelessness in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.  Community members come to Cherry Street who need a bed, safety and maybe a special meal this holiday season.  Community members come to Cherry Street who are Hungry:  Hungry for Change, Hungry for a Career, Hungry for Success, Hungry for Direction.  Working together we can address the needs of those who are hungry and together we can start Feeding Futures.

Upcoming Thanksgiving Events:

• 11.9.21 – 12.31.21 Volunteer sign up for Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons
• 11.1.21 – Registration open for Dave’s Running Shop Turkey Chase https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Toledo/DavesTurkeyChase5kRunWalk
• Thursday, 11.25.21, 7:00 am to 8:00 am – Autumn themed breakfast at Mac Street Café
• Thursday, 11.25.21 @ 9:00 am Turkey Chase Thanksgiving Tradition begins.  Proceeds to benefit Cherry Street Mission Ministries.
• Thursday, 11.25.21, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm – Lunch catered by Real Seafood, served restaurant-style by Chick-Fil-A staff
• Thursday, 11.25.21, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Southern inspired dinner at Mac Street Café

FOOD DONATIONS
Food donations and meal supplies can be dropped off at 1501 Monroe Street, off 16th Street at the Life Revitalization Center building Monday through Friday from 9 am to 12 pm.  If you need to drop off outside of these hours or have questions concerning donations, please contact Kary Jo Gribble at 419.214.3321.

Monetary donations can be mailed to: Cherry Street Mission Ministries, PO Box 9100, Toledo, OH 43697-9100 or you can donate online at www.cherrystreetmission.org.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Volunteers will be needed throughout the day to make it a special day for all.  The community can make an impact on those living in poverty by donating toward the meals and volunteering their time.  For more information on volunteering contact Hallie at volunteer@cherrystreetmission.org or at 419.214.3419.

BREAKFAST AT MAC STREET CAFÉ – 7:00 am to 8:30 am
Thursday, November 25, 2021 – 1501 Monroe St. Toledo, OH 43604
Located within the Life Revitalization Center, Mac Street Café will be serving pumpkin spice pancakes with syrup and cranberry glaze, muffins, scrambled eggs, sausage links, maple chicken and fruit salad.  Meals and celebrations are available to all Cherry Street guests.

LUNCH CATERED BY THE REAL SEAFOOD COMPANY – 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Thursday, November 25, 2021 – Mac Street Café, 1501 Monroe St. Toledo, OH  43604
Lunch will be served in the Mac Street Café in the Life Revitalization Center.  Live music will be played, and lunch will be served restaurant-style by Chick-Fil-A staff and volunteers. Meals and celebrations are available to all Cherry Street guests.

DINNER AT MAC STREET CAFÉ – 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Thursday, November 25, 2021 – 1501 Monroe St. Toledo, OH 43604
Located within the Life Revitalization Center, Mac Street Café will be serving a Southern inspired meal.   Meals and celebrations are available to all Cherry Street guests.

September 20, 2021- TOLEDO (Ohio) –

The end of the eviction moratorium, staff over-time, increased expenses, less volunteer help, and a rise in people needing help are impacting our kitchen, library, Mac Street Café — critical to providing meals, shelter and a path toward a changed life.

Cherry Street is providing emergency shelter to 33% more people as compared to the same time last year.   From May to August the organization saw 400% more new faces arriving, homeless for the first time in their life- all due to Covid-19.

Furthermore, the shelter has experienced an increase in Covid-19 positive cases.  At this time, 10% of the men and women served by Cherry Street are positive for Covid-19.  Following the guidelines of the CDC, positive guests are receiving appropriate care and have been separated from others.

It’s not winter and yet the shelter beds are filling up.  Nonetheless, Ann Ebbert, CEO/President of Cherry Street; the area’s largest emergency shelter; said “We will not turn men and women away”.

Cherry Street’s staff are exceptional and already utilize healthy practices for preventing the spread of disease and viruses. Led by the facilities team, Cherry Street is using strategies that have proven useful and are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.  This includes the frequent disinfection of hard surfaces and high traffic areas. Face masks must be worn by all guests, employees, visitors, volunteers and partners. Cherry Street has been working ceaselessly to ensure the health and safety of those served is at the forefront.  Due in large part to those measures, since the pandemic began, no one staying at Cherry Street has died because of Covid-19.

Cherry Street has been well stocked with food, soap, bottled water, hand sanitizer, cleaning chemicals, and disinfectant wipes. However, extraordinary purchases and the increase in the amount of people needing emergency assistance from the organization is unprecedented and has affected the budget of the organization.  Throughout the pandemic, ministry programs have not yet been impacted. It is crucial the care and provision to those served at Cherry Street continues uninterrupted as it has since 1947.  Monetary support from the public will help bridge the gaps.

Cherry Street will continue to care for the most vulnerable in the community and care for people living in poverty. Donations and the wish list can be viewed on the website:  cherrystreetmission.org/get-involved

Each month Cherry Street staff are joining the morning crew at YES-FM to offer what they call the “Morning Munch”.  It is a reflection, a devotion and a prayer starting the listeners day at 7:30am.  Cherry Street uses the same monthly theme for our time on the Morning Munch, for Bible studies and for our weekly worship services.  You are invited to join in this focus for the upcoming month.

In January, we are focused on the concept of communication.  The Bible helps us with this concept in Ephesians 4:29-31 which says:  “²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Communication is defined as containing information, news, advice, and request.  For an example, being able tell others how/where you stand on various topics.  As we explore the concept with ourselves we ask the question: “What truth are you living in? Or Are you living a lie?”

You can listen each month for our thematic focus on various topics by tuning in to YES-FM.

• Coffee – Ground
• #10 cans of Vegetables
• Large Lunch Bags
• Brown Sugar
• Sandwich Bread
• Salsa
• Fresh Fruit
• Pancake Mix
• Pancake syrup
• Spices/Seasoning:
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Pepper
  • Old Bay Seasoning
  • Chili Powder
  • Cumin
  • Paprika
  • Taco seasoning
• Hot Chocolate
• Tea bags
• Oatmeal
• Snacks – Serving size packs
  • Chips, Cookies, Trail Mix, Cereal Bars, Fruit Snacks, Pretzels, Goldfish, etc.
• Fresh Eggs
• 12 oz coffee cups – disposable

Recently, we got to speak with a wonderful woman named Jeannie. She came to us on behalf of wonderful friend and donor to Cherry Street who had passed away, Verna.

Jeannie had worked for Verna many years ago and from that relationship it blossomed into a lifelong friendship. Verna served as Jeannie’s mentor throughout her career and later considered Jeannie the daughter she never had. Jeannie says Verna was always a quiet thoughtful giver. She was always generous with her time and with sharing her wisdom. And now after her passing, Jeannie was caring out a legacy of generosity on behalf of her late friend.

Reflecting, Jeannie thinks Verna would really appreciate the Cherry Street of today. She would have loved the use of personal development plan strategies with guests and workforce development programming. In her life Verna was always a woman thinking and planning ahead for the future.

Immaculate with her word, Verna told Jeannie she had been interviewing nursing homes, so she was prepared for the time she chose to leave the house she and her husband had built together. Jeannie thought it was especially poignant that Verna chose the word “choose” to leave rather than have to leave. This is why she included Cherry Street in her end of life plans. When Verna and Jeannie would talk about life’s troubles Verna would ask, “Jeannie dear heart, what are you going to do about that”? Jeannie thinks Verna would appreciate the problem solving and working solutions Verna would see at Cherry Street and at work in the lives of those served at Cherry Street.

December 10, 2020

And they added to their numbers daily…

“It’s the MOST wonderful time of the year!” For some people it is, and for some of us, it is not.

When you think through the things that make the holidays have such high expectations, I am sure some of the thoughts you have center around the people with which you share those special days.  Your sister’s love of playing (winning) card games, your mom making her special baked beans, the laughter of little kiddos in the family, memories of grandpas who played Santa and snuck extra cookies to you and friends joining together for carry-in dinners and fun.  These relationships are the knots that hold our tapestry together and without them, our life often does not feel full and complete.

The life situations from which many of the guests come: generational poverty, untreated illness, substance use, or transiency, frequently have degraded an individual’s circle of relationships down to no one.  And so, their hope of a happy holiday is very slim. At Cherry Street, often our staff and volunteers become temporary relationships for the guests that utilize the Mission.

When we come together as a community and begin to care for each other, similar to the way we see Jesus’ followers caring for one another in the early church, “sharing what they had and adding to their numbers daily”, we begin to provide the opportunity for people to once again gain a spark of hope for a happy season.  Your participation in this process is vital to providing a glimpse of the possibility of having a whole and healthy circle of family and friends with which to share life.