“To provide dignity, care and compassion through action
with the example that each person can make a difference.
To educate and
advocate acceptance and understanding of each other’s differences.
To
ultimately bring about the realization that we are all a vital part of this
world and with extended effort put an end to homelessness, hunger and hatred.”
Featured on the "Hall Mark Station", OPERATION: Sack Lunch is a meal and basic necessities provider
serving the homeless children, women, and men, who congregate on the streets of
Seattle. Entering our sixteenth year of service, we are a grassroots project
that began with 30 lunches in the kitchen of founder, Beverly Graham.
OPERATION: Sack Lunch has now provided more than 1.3 million meals (hot meals
and sack lunches), and thousands of provisions for life’s basic necessities
such as hygiene supplies, new of white socks, new under wear, back packs,
shoes, clothes and thousands of new blankets and sleeping bags. Our program has earned numerable awards of recognition including the prestigious "Jefferson Award" for Commnity service in 1997, an international "Giraffe Award" in 1998, the "Woman of Distinction Award" in 2000, the Mayor of Seattle's
"End Hunger Award" in 2002 and a "Thomas C. Wales Foundation Honoree" in 2004.
We are the only health
department compliant outside-congregate provider in the state of Washington.
By offering education on poverty, hunger,
and discrimination awareness to the greater community, OPERATION: Sack Lunch
not only provides services to the homeless, but has also become a major
community builder for people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Our powerful
multimedia presentation has a profound effect on all those who participate and
has become the catalyst for literally thousands of volunteers. It is as a voice
for those who voices are seldom heard, giving names and faces to those who live
in the most intolerable conditions. Offering pro-active volunteer opportunities
we see more than 1500 students each year who use our program for community
service. We have been told repeatedly that working with us has been a life
changing experience. Our mission is to provide basic nutrition and life
necessities, to dispel the myths of homelessness, and to provide education to
schools, businesses, and organizations on homelessness, poverty, discrimination
awareness, and community service. Our goal is to encourage compassion,
stimulate action, and generate income for much needed services. We actively
engage the community at large in helping to solve the problems of homelessness
through pro-active service.
Far from diminishing, the phenomenon of
homelessness seems to be spinning out of control. OPERATION: Sack Lunch goes beyond being a
meal provider by recognizing that people must satisfy hunger first before
tackling any of life's other obstacles. OSL continues to expand services with
the growing numbers and needs of the homeless and poverty level population. In
today's uncertain economy it becomes increasingly more evident to the staff and
volunteers of OPERATION: Sack Lunch serving on the front line, that the meals
we provide are quite literally lifesaving,
if only for the moment. Searching out an emergency meal provider for basic
nutrition can be a humbling and frightening experience. Our meals are served without judgement and in a manner that
allows dignity and encourages positive self-esteem without any requirements,
helping to make the experience far less traumatizing. For many of Seattle's
homeless, OPERATION: Sack Lunch is the foundation for simple survival. Over the
years the face of homelessness and the number of meals we serve has changed
dramatically. People who have never had to rely on emergency services such as
ours, now find their lives dependent on them. Many are families with small
children.
We invite you to join us.