...but I might change my mind in the future.

Some nights it's like getting on a roller coaster at 6:00 and not getting off until 9:30. I was wore slap out when we got done this week.

Twig was out, so it was pretty much up to me to decide what was for supper, and you know how I roll. I left my options open up until about 5:15. The Bread Lady had some nice sub rolls so I pulled the trigger and went with meatball subs.

Fairly easy.
Really good .
Lots for the volunteers to do.
A win/win all the way around.

I had some food that had been given to me, but not enough to do the both stops. Dorothy Crumpton gave us some apple crisp, potatoes, and stuffing. Gary McKnight gave us some fried chicken, barbecue, beans, and new potatoes. We took the potatoes, stuffing, a little chicken and mixed up with cheese on top and put in the oven. Kind of a no-name casserole, but it was good.

We also got 25 lbs. of strawberries and 20 lbs. of blueberries. Nothing fancy there. Cut them up, throw some sugar on them, put them in those yellow cake cups with some Food Lion cool whip. They were a hit. We used all the strawberries and a bag of the blueberries. Saved some for the next pancake night.

We had someone donate some bag lunches to us and we gave those to our friends as they left.

Then as we were winding down at the 1st stop, the folks that run the Babyfast program finished their session and gave us some more chicken and desserts.

We were hustling like crazy trying to figure out where and how we were going to give it all out. We got it done, though. We had a few meatballs left and we froze them, saving them for another night.

BAILEY/ANDY/J.BOGGS/DAVID/SEAN/RYAN/LIZ/MICHAEL/
DEE/MARK/CONNOR/BLAKE/STEVE/TERESA
/SAM/MITCH/LAURA/ANNA/PRUDEN/CRAIG/CHRIS/ESPO/
NICK/SAMANTHA/CHRISTIAN/BRIEN/CRAIG/WILLIAM/GARRISON/
MAGGIE/MADDY/ALEXANDRA/CREEEECH!/TAYLOR//
and me are the 35 (35!) people who pulled it all together.

While I'm naming names....
Not every adult works good around or with kids. Some adults aren't wired for it. I have some great adults who show up week in and week out and do a awesome job with the youth that participate. Mitch Cook brings a crew of 2 or 3 boys every week and works non-stop while he's there. I told you a while back about the help that Steve Leger is. John Liverman - same thing. Not just a lot of help, but good with and good for kids. Anna, Brien and Teresa are all wonderful helpers and great with kids. Pruden, too. That makes things a lot smoother, believe me.

One of the things we have gotten better at is interacting with the people we serve. For a long time most of the youth would stay on the serving side of the table all night. Some would come out when slowed down but just a few. Most of the dialogue was while they were coming through the line.
And when we had just enough to work the serving table, it was understandable. But now when we have the numbers we've been having lately, I"ve been emphasizing that if you're not actively doing something at the table, you have to be on the other side and I expect them to be talking to the people that come to eat. Some kids are naturals and do a great job. Creeech! does. Maddy Blue is another. Peyson Hunt talks to a guy named Aaron the whole time he's there. When Peyson is not there, Aaron ask about him. Shane Willis and Hampton Cook, too.

One thing I've gotten good at it is spotting the FREE DATERS.
Now, most of the kids that come do so because they want to help and good hearts. They are sincere and do tremendous jobs.
BUT sometimes....I get used like a dishrag by kids looking to get together without actually going out.
It works like this:
I'll see a guy who start coming that hasn't been coming before. The same night I'll notice a girl that kind of came out of the blue. Then I notice it 2 or 3 weeks in a row. Aaahhh..... sneaky young romancers.
Parents aren't gonna let them go on a date during the school week.
Might not even let them date at all.
BUT they will let them come help me feed the homeless.
BAM! FREE DATE!
Oh yeah, it happens. It's happening now.
I could name names. I won't tonight......