Help us build more blessing boxes Fundraising

114 South Mulberry Street,Elizabethtown KY 42701

20 November, 2021

Description

Help us fill up every corner in Hardin County with Free food by building more blessing boxes Be the Change Inc. Foodbank was certified as such in February of 2021 with the Secretary of State and the IRS for tax exempt. We are a 501 (c) (3) non profit and our goal is to build and place 100 blessing boxes in Hardin county. We will reach goal with your help. Please, come at the event and hear our story. Be the Change Inc started as a private entity 26 December 2020 and was formed to a Non Profit Incorporation 5th of February of 2021 because I felt my vision “no one hungry in Hardin County in five years” has to reach more audience in order to succeed. So, I found my directors and here I am. I want to reach more and more audience and sponsors so my vision for cooking 100 free meals daily will be accomplished. Tanya Seabrooks was my inspiration and the fact that I have been cooking for Ky for 22 years, I always wanted to start a free meal soup kitchen when I retire from the long restaurant hours. Tanya, was an activist, caring individual who had been doing a luncheon for 4 years because she believed no family or individual, stay hungry Christmas Day. We honor Tanya Seabrooks and the love she had for his community. Tanya, passed 3rd December 2020 but left a legacy behind . To honor her, I requested from the Mayor and her family that I would take over the Christmas luncheon and they agreed. I started preparing it, didn’t know where to start from, who to call and how to get all these people together to volunteer and support financially. People responded, money started coming, turkeys and ham started coming, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pies everything fell into place in such a rush and short time I probably hadn’t slept but just dreaming awake for 3 weeks. Then, there is the day of the event. 305 meals 65 volunteers, delivery drivers, cooks, preps, hosts and hostesses Colvin Community Center was a huge bee hive with people. What a success!!!!! At the end of the day 39 meals are left , I take them with me in the coolers, someone said what are you going to do Maria, you need help? I said I’m going to Duvall Mobile park tomorrow 26 December, knock on doors and give them to people. So, I and my brother Emmanouil drove noon the Day after Christmas knocked on doors and gave people the meals, the sodas, the desserts, the fruits from the day before. Mary was there from the News Enterprise, taking pictures and asked me, when is going to be the next time you do this again Maria? I said, Mary, I wish I could do this every week. I went home, I brought in my mind all these memories of people opening their doors and grabbing the food with smiles on their faces and immediately I decided to repeat this every Saturday Since then, we never missed one single Saturday My program benefits everybody who is in need of free meals and yes, these are real hot meals. I personally cook them using the people’s donations and if I’m missing something I go and buy it My slogan is “No questions asked. You are hungry, I will feed you” So far I have cooked and distributed over 3000 meals We just changed the distribution day from Saturday to Monday because a lot of volunteers go out of town Saturday once the weather gets warmer Slowly we were able to cook daily Then, the idea of the blessing boxes started. This idea has been in my head like I said for many years but right now was the perfect time to start it because of the virus, people lost their jobs, poverty level, hunger, evictions have been increased sky high and more and more families are struggling. I see it on my phone, all these people calling for help. We just started our first blessing box as well and the Grand Opening was the 5th of March at 12.00 pm in my parking lot Chef Maria’s 661 S. Wilson Rd Radcliff Ky Be The Change provides the material and businesses sponsor it and this one was sponsored by The Glass Doctors of Radcliff Locations of Chef Marias Road Pantries 1.661 S. Wilson Rd Radcliff 2. Radcliff Plaza inside the Plaza across from the movie theater by the median Radcliff 3. Next to the Police station Radcliff 4. as you enter St. Stevens church from Woodland to the right, Radcliff 5. 1885 S. Wilson Rd outside the office of Parkside Manor Mobile park 6. 428 W.Dixie Ave Elizabethtown outside 2Vets inspection homes I’m fortunate to have so many friends from my 22 year restaurant career and personal friends too that are bringing me all kinds of donations including food, clothes and cash. Yesterday a firefighter from Elizabethtown dropped a whole carload of snacks he bid in an auction and donated them to me There are good people out there and I see them everyday Ways to donate Bring food, clothes, cash, toiletries, dry milk, hygiene products, paper towels, formula, anything you can spare, to Chef Maria’s 661 S. Wilson Rd. Radcliff or call me 502 821 0275 we will pick up We accept, PayPal [email protected] (please click friends and family to avoid fees) Venmo 5028210275 Cashapp $chefmariabell I can move mountains I can save souls I can change the world But never without you!!! Be the change!!! Join us today. Thank you so much FOOD IS LOVE HOUSEPLANTS IS LIFE I am a Chef and I cook for Kentucky for 20 years. I also do catering, I sell houseplants , propagate them and teach others cooking classes and different other events. I come from the island of Crete and I moved here in 1997 I spread the word of hunger in the world, I placed 4 blessing boxes in Hardin co. already and I cook and distribute free meals to people in need I love camping, hiking, swimming, singing and dancing and gardening. I also love my grandkids