Taking a Meal to a Family in Need is Easy
Taking a meal to another family is easier than we think. Even for working women, it’s easy to help another family out when there is a death, crisis, new baby, or surgery – or whatever the need may be.
If you have the mindset of cooking double, your family’s evening meal can be made at the same time!
But when you are in a hurry, there are quick and healthy options at the grocery store. This past week when my friend had surgery, Costco saved me! My favorite is to take ingredients to make a big chicken salad, along with bread to bake in the oven.
Always leave a note with instructions, in case the kids or whoever is helping with meals in the home:
1. How to bake the bread (temp and time)
2. How to make the salad
3. How to cook the corn
4. And then how to ENJOY the brownies :)
When’s the last time you took a meal to a family in need, and what did you take?
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Hi Sandy! Came back to this post to see the meal ideas that ladies shared. Must job some of these down for future reference.
I agree, families are grateful, they are so blessed to be thought of this way. You mentioned organizing meals for a large church, a ministry I have served in started using Care Calendar http://www.carecalendar.org/ to organize meals after we nearly wore out our meals coordinator–she loves her job now! It made a huge difference in making it easier for more people to get involved in providing a meal. Hope this resource helps. (BTW-Chicken Pot Pie is another comfort food so many love and appreciate, especially homemade :)
Love your heart for reaching out to people and serving.
Ugh, this was supposed to be a rely to your reply, sorry.
I love your ‘easy’ method of sharing and uplifting a family!! Never have I thought that it would be okay to not bring everything table ready. This is sooo helpful when I’m too busy but believe I really should bless someone. My wheels are spinning with possibilities now.
Sandy…you’re the best!!
I always take pulled pork (homemade), buns, chips, and slaw. I throw in paper plates too. That way people can eat individually or as a family. It is also easy to freeze just in case circumstances change or there is too much food. And I always take throwaway containers–a must!!!! Our daughter just had a baby and her friends have been fabulous! Love the “take a meal” websites for signing up too!
Have done this for years either on a whim or when a group email from our community meals coordinator arrives in my inbox. One dish meals like casseroles are great if it is just you providing a single meal. Having been on the receiving end of numerous meals during a crisis (thankfully), I would suggest a little more effort if possible (I’ve heard this feedback from others as well). We were so tickled when someone made a pot roast with all the trimmings for us, it was comfort food and a welcome break from stream of casseroles and “easy” meals. Any time we take a meal to someone in need it not only nourishes their hunger, but their soul as well.
Great post!
Thanks, Judy! I started a meals ministry in a very large church (big job! was happy to pass it on, ha!) and have been on the receiving end with 3 babies, 2 surgeries, my mom dying, and my husband’s parents dying. We were so thankful!
This post is offering an idea to the busy woman. I often heard from women who work that they didn’t have the time. So, in a sense they missed out on blessing another family.
I received an email back from this family that they LOVED the salad and it was perfect for a hot summer night.
I also knew they had a teen daughter who could get in there and help prepare what I brought.
I really believe that families are SO grateful for whatever they receive.
(BTW, Chicken Pot Pie is my “wintertime” meal that I bring to people.)
I like taking Caesar salads using chi ken and romaine from Costco…but I just took lunch to a new momma. I made the sandwiches in advance for our family and took her a sandwich, peaches, lemonade and oatmeal cookies from the freezer. Easy peasy.
Have you ever used http://www.takethemameal.com ? It’s a fabulous website we use ALL the time for church sign ups to bring meals to those in need. I have a once a month limit to bring a meal to a family and I also save disposable containers to take the meal to them! Such a great reminder!
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.com
Organizing Made Fun
Love this!!!! (And love that I have been on the receiving end of one of your ‘save you’ meals!) Love you!!
Loved this post and enjoyed reading thru the comments for ideas!
The last time we took dinner to a friend was to my hubby’s brother and his wife when their second child, our darlin’ niece was born. Sis’s friend set up an online calendar and that is *so* the way to go!
We took:
Grilled chicken breasts
Roasted potatoes and onions w/ rosemary
Green beans cooked in the pressure cooker (we southern belles enjoy our beans *done*!! :)
And, because it was so close to Valentine’s Day, I made heart shaped sugar cookies, iced and sprinkled with red sugar.
We took them another meal a month later (ok, so wanted to take another gander at our sweet niece and, yes, play with our nephew, too!).
The week didn’t go like I’d hoped so we just called ahead to order sub sandwiches and took them by with chips and cookies. It was actually bro and sis-in-law’s idea when we took the first meal that we do a small family gathering the next time. So, with their blessing, we took enough food over for Mama, Daddy, Nephew, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and us, too. :)
Sandy, thank you so much for this post. It seems as if there is always somebody in my community or church who I want to minister to in this way. Just this morning my co-teacher for the youth girls SS class had surgery. It’s just she and her husband at home now and how wonderful this would be for me to be able to bring him a basket like this with simple instructions and they can eat on their own schedule. Thanks so much!