For 32 years the Bethesda community, led by Hyatt Regency Bethesda and the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce along with the BCC Rescue Squad, have made a tradition out of celebrating the holidays with those in our community who need a little extra. Unfortunately, the onset of COVID-19 has made that need greater, more urgent than in years past, and more different than ever.
The Solution!
A few weeks ago, St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church reached out with a way for us to serve those we serve every December as well as more of those who find themselves food insecure, possibly for the first time because of COVID-19. In partnership with St. John’s, the BCC Rescue Squad and Nourish Now, we will be working to get food in the hands of those who need it on a weekly basis. Now, instead of a one-time celebration, we have the wonderful opportunity to feed our community every single week. This new endeavor is called Nourishing Bethesda…and the GBCC involvement in the endeavor is called the Goodwill Dinner Coalition.
Your Inclusion!
How can you help? And we NEED you!
There are three major ways we need the Bethesda community to continue supporting the Goodwill Dinner Coalition.
1. Financial Support – The dollars the Coalition raises are given to the restaurants who prepare the food either at or below cost and then get them to us for distribution. So far, Nourish Now and St. John’s Norwood along with a few donors have been covering this cost. If you can donate, please make a 501©3 donation at the link here (choose ‘Help the Helpers’ in the drop down box and indicate ‘Nourishing Bethesda’ in the comment box). Also, SHARE this with your networks. If you or your business can’t give at this time, maybe someone in your network can!
2. Volunteer Support – We are planning to continue the above efforts until at least February. Sign ups are open now and volunteers can sign up now for any week in the upcoming months.. Please go here and sign up now to serve alongside us soon!
3. December – while we acknowledge the need to shift and evolve in light of the crisis, we don’t want to completely lose tradition. The Goodwill Dinner Coalition is working hard to determine how we can still make our mark on the guests during the month of December.
THANK YOU in advance for supporting and coming alongside those in the community who need us. Consider it a Christmas in August through February – with so many opportunities to impact the lives around us.
- The Goodwill Dinner Coalition
