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In response to the economic impact of COVID-19, the Mountain View-based nonprofit Hope’s Corner has added new services, including a to-go Wednesday lunch and off-site meal deliveries. The new services have resulted in a 164% increase in the number of meals Hope’s Corner provides to homeless, low-income, and vulnerable individuals and families who are hungry.
On April 8, Hope’s Corner launched the new Wednesday lunch service (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) as an expansion of its meals program, which previously consisted of only a Saturday breakfast and to-go bag lunch. Wednesdays were chosen in order to complement Community Services Agency’s food pantry, which is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The first Wednesday lunch attracted only 44 guests. However, as news of the lunch spread and a drive-thru option was added, the numbers increased steadily so that volunteers now regularly distribute over 100 lunches on-site.
The success of the Wednesday lunch is due in part to faith-based groups that provide volunteers who help prepare and distribute the lunches. These groups also sponsor the lunch by contributing to pay for the food included in the lunches. Each lunch features a hot item, such as a hamburger/veggie burger or burrito, as well as a drink, snacks, and fruit.
Hope’s Corner began providing meals off-site to RV residents and workers at the Day Worker Center of Mountain View on March 28. With the economic effects of COVID-19 causing layoffs and increasing food insufficiency, the number of meals that Hope’s Corner provides to these groups has increased substantially.
Community members have found a variety of ways to help Hope’s Corner support people in need. Some have purchased or made face masks, while others have donated toiletry kits that are distributed with meals. Several groups have decorated lunch bags with hopeful images and messages. In addition, some in the community have used their stimulus checks to purchase meals from local restaurants for Hope’s Corner to distribute, supporting restaurant workers in the process.
Those coming to Hope’s Corner appreciate the new services. For Tom, a homeless man who sleeps in his minivan, his lunch last Wednesday at Hope’s Corner was his only meal of the day. He noted, “It’s high-quality. I like it here.”
Hope’s Corner president Leslie Carmichael commented, “We know there are a lot of people who have been laid off and have no income coming in. They tell us the additional Wednesday meal from Hope’s Corner provides them a meal or two that they might otherwise have to skip. The ‘extras,’ like the face masks, decorated bags, and other support from the community bring smiles and let people know they haven’t been forgotten.”
Contributions to help support Hope’s Corner and its new services can be made at hopes-corner.org/donate.
Mike Hacker is a volunteer at Hope’s Corner, located at 748 Mercy St. in Mountain View.
