2020 Newsletter: june
6/30/2020
"It inspires me so much that Dawn answered God's call for her to serve our area's homeless. She simply said "yes" ...It makes me wonder if I have missed any of God's call for my life." -TLOT Volunteer
Overcoming a Pandemic!
Despite a nationwide pandemic, June has been a great month for the Least of These Ministry!
· We housed three homeless friends this month!!
· Thanks to our TLOT Village, we were blessed with the opportunity to meet an immediate need for our homeless friends by serving lunch every day from March 16th to June 15th.
· We continue to offer mobile showers at Belmont Baptist Church on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 12 PM. As many as 15 people have been taking advantage of this service each day it is offered.
· Now that the state is preparing to move into Phase 3 in an attempt to return to some sense of normalcy, we are working to do the same! We are back on the streets in the ministry truck 4 to 5 nights a week to address the immediate needs of our homeless friends.
Despite a nationwide pandemic, June has been a great month for the Least of These Ministry!
· We housed three homeless friends this month!!
· Thanks to our TLOT Village, we were blessed with the opportunity to meet an immediate need for our homeless friends by serving lunch every day from March 16th to June 15th.
· We continue to offer mobile showers at Belmont Baptist Church on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 12 PM. As many as 15 people have been taking advantage of this service each day it is offered.
· Now that the state is preparing to move into Phase 3 in an attempt to return to some sense of normalcy, we are working to do the same! We are back on the streets in the ministry truck 4 to 5 nights a week to address the immediate needs of our homeless friends.
Life Changing Donation!
Tim Wade has been homeless for almost a year. Prior to Tim’s battle with homelessness, he worked and resided in a local motel. However, when his truck broke down, he lost everything. After posting Tim’s need for a truck on Facebook, a wonderful family donated their 1993 Chevrolet S10 truck to him. Inside the truck, their sweet children left a precious card that said, “Enjoy the truck.”
"Transportation has been one of the worst things for me when I became homeless. It's one of the worst things any homeless person can face, and now that I have it, I'm sure I'll be able to change everything that I need to change to get me back on track," Wade said in an interview with WDBJ7 News.
Now, because of our amazing TLOT Village, Tim is able to work and earn an income that will improve his living situation. We are so happy to have been able to facilitate this donation that will likely change Tim’s life forever!
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the WDBJ7 news article regarding this donation.
Tim Wade has been homeless for almost a year. Prior to Tim’s battle with homelessness, he worked and resided in a local motel. However, when his truck broke down, he lost everything. After posting Tim’s need for a truck on Facebook, a wonderful family donated their 1993 Chevrolet S10 truck to him. Inside the truck, their sweet children left a precious card that said, “Enjoy the truck.”
"Transportation has been one of the worst things for me when I became homeless. It's one of the worst things any homeless person can face, and now that I have it, I'm sure I'll be able to change everything that I need to change to get me back on track," Wade said in an interview with WDBJ7 News.
Now, because of our amazing TLOT Village, Tim is able to work and earn an income that will improve his living situation. We are so happy to have been able to facilitate this donation that will likely change Tim’s life forever!
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the WDBJ7 news article regarding this donation.
TLOT in the News!
“It’s important to me that people who are unsheltered know that they are loved and that they matter. And that they are not a societal outcast,” said TLOT founder Dawn Sandoval in an interview for the Roanoke Times. Reporter Alicia Petska and Photographer Heather Rousseau did a great job capturing TLOT and the services the ministry provides. Thanks to the TLOT Village for making this possible.
Check out this video and the article on The Roanoke Times website.
“It’s important to me that people who are unsheltered know that they are loved and that they matter. And that they are not a societal outcast,” said TLOT founder Dawn Sandoval in an interview for the Roanoke Times. Reporter Alicia Petska and Photographer Heather Rousseau did a great job capturing TLOT and the services the ministry provides. Thanks to the TLOT Village for making this possible.
Check out this video and the article on The Roanoke Times website.
Thankful Thursdays are Back!
With proper COVID-19 guidelines in place, we have started serving dinners to our homeless friends on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Meals will be served in Market Square in downtown Roanoke and will be pre-packaged in to-go boxes. If you, your family, co-workers, bible study group, or friends are interested in serving, you can secure your spot on our Google Doc scheduler.
With proper COVID-19 guidelines in place, we have started serving dinners to our homeless friends on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Meals will be served in Market Square in downtown Roanoke and will be pre-packaged in to-go boxes. If you, your family, co-workers, bible study group, or friends are interested in serving, you can secure your spot on our Google Doc scheduler.
Join the TLOT Village!
Here are two easy ways to be a part of the TLOT Village:
Kroger Rewards
Amazon Smile
Visit our “Help Us” Webpage for more ways to join the TLOT Village!
The Hustle is Still On!
We are excited to announce that the Hustle for the Homeless 5K and Family Fun Run/Walk will still take place on August 22, 2020! We are making some changes to accommodate COVID-19 safety regulations, so you can be assured that safety is our priority. In addition, a virtual event will be available to anyone who is not comfortable participating in person but wants to support this important event.
Considering we are a nonprofit organization and operate with limited resources and utilize volunteers in order to serve our homeless friends, this event is crucial to the development of our ministry. If you haven’t already signed up, please consider doing so here, and help us spread the word by telling your friends!
Here are two easy ways to be a part of the TLOT Village:
Kroger Rewards
- Choose “The Least of These Ministry” on Marshall Avenue in Roanoke.
- Every time you shop at Kroger, you will help TLOT!
Amazon Smile
- Type “The Least of These Ministry, Roanoke” in the search bar and select as your charity.
- Every time you make a purchase on Amazon, be sure to use this web address: https://smile.amazon.com/
- PRO TIP: If you're used to buying things on the Amazon app on your phone or tablet, add your items to your cart, then when you can get to a computer, log in your account, go to smile.amazon.com and complete your purchase.
Visit our “Help Us” Webpage for more ways to join the TLOT Village!
The Hustle is Still On!
We are excited to announce that the Hustle for the Homeless 5K and Family Fun Run/Walk will still take place on August 22, 2020! We are making some changes to accommodate COVID-19 safety regulations, so you can be assured that safety is our priority. In addition, a virtual event will be available to anyone who is not comfortable participating in person but wants to support this important event.
Considering we are a nonprofit organization and operate with limited resources and utilize volunteers in order to serve our homeless friends, this event is crucial to the development of our ministry. If you haven’t already signed up, please consider doing so here, and help us spread the word by telling your friends!
Click to Register!