John Tumino

Celebrating events is a big deal at IMFK especialy someones Birthday! JD joined our TEAM 3 weeks ago and has fit in perfectly with our system. His heart for our friends is incredible so today we surprised him with a Carvel Ice Cream Cake and a birthday song from the crew. JD you are so appreciated and we look forward to many more Birthday Celebrations at IMFK.

 HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY 

John and Leigh Ann

Always something new happening on street outreach. Today as we were giving our friend G a lunch we asked if there was anything else he needed. G said yes can you remove the staples in my head I missed my appointment and need them removed. Dr. Lehman stepped right up and said of course lets step into my office (outreach van). We walked over to the IMFK outreach van got the tool needed and the staples where removed. G was so appreciative and Dr. Lehmann was so gracious and loving in the removal process. After Doc was finished G was so eager to talk and said he needed our assistance to secure housing. That right there is music to a street outreach workers ears. A simple meal ( meatball sandwich) a house call from a Doctor some toiletries opened a door for further engagement. It never ceases to amaze me how far a little dignity and value will go with our friends outdoors.

The Topic of Mental Health is a Tough

Many of us reading this post may have friends or family members suffering with variations of Mental Health disorders. The reality is that Mental Health is a serious condition just like other conditions that many of us are dealing with. One of the challenges about discussing this topic is the stigma that wraps itself around the one who is suffering. My post today is to bring awareness to and the challenges of tying to assist someone suffering with with a Mental Health disorder. This photo is not here to shame anyone its to show the reality of whats happening on our streets. Drugs are one key component to drive someone to homelessness but the othe major key is untreated mental health conditions and encouraging someone to get help. Our friend here ( we will call him Al) is an elderly man who has a untreated Mental Health condition and he refuses our assitance. (Al) will take our lunches and some water but refuses clothing and connections to mental health providers. (Al) is elderly and vulnerable to something bad happening to him outdoors. With out knowing (Al) you would think that he is just an old man wandering and drunk (a bum) but that so far from the truth. (Al) is a man that has value, has a family and is caught in a cycle of untreated mental health. One of the things that I have observed over the years is that when someone has a broken leg or arm there is a cast placed to help the mending process and those of us in the community seeing these individuals understand that there is a broken bone because we see a cast. Well with mental heath there is no cast to put on and for us in the community we must realize that just because we dont see a cast on someones head we should not assume that everything is back to normal. What we will continue to do with (Al) is love him engage him reach out continually to mental health providers and believe that (Al) will say yes to assistance. You might be asking why cant they just pick him up? As outreach provider to the homeless I think that as well but one thing I have learned dealing with mental health challenges is that if someone is not a harm to themselves or others they can not be picked up against their will. My prayer as a Clergy Member is that these laws would be revisited and that a new approach could be established with engaging friends who are suffering with Mental Heath. During my prayer time today this passge came to my thought

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

John 1:48 NLT

No one is Invisible and we at IMFK will continue to advocate for our friends especially for our friend (Al)

Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups

Ingredients:
2 large zucchini or yellow squash, total weight 1 1/2 lbs
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup finely chopped leeks
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 ¼ lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
13 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
1 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional)
2 C no sugar added tomato-basil pasta sauce such as Rao’s Marinara
2 cups low-fat mozzarella
1 Jar Taste and See Pasta Sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Chop leeks and green pepper. Cook leeks and pepper in olive oiled sprayed nonstick pan, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 min. more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the leeks, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl. Crumble in the ground beef & ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, (remove fat) then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add IMFK Taste and See Sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 min.
While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture , then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.
Bake zucchini cups for 20 min., then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Finish with more IMFK Taste and See Sauce, top with cheese and Serve hot.

Thank you for your support of our Mission as you know 100% of the proceeds assist us in serving those who feel invisible. Click on the Taste and See tab to find locations near you, get Sauce delivered to your front door or for our out of town supporters we can ship to your home.

Eating with a Purpose could never be easier

John and Leigh Ann
Taste and See

The Simple things like a Butterfly can open doors to great conversation. JD (care manager) snapped this shot today with this quote ” Great to witness these moments our friends have while they’re out taking care of Our Community”  The awesome thing about the Hire Ground broken is that it brings Dignity back to our friends. It is a way for them to escape the craziness of addiction and homelessness for 5 hours and when we set up these work moments in our communities we allow them to experience the simple things again, like watching a Butterfly. Leigh Ann and I believe that these moments of peace will slow down the chaos were our Care Managers can step in and start to peel back the layers of brokenness and encourage our friends that change is possible. We love our Work (calling) and look forward to every opportunity to show our friends that they are not Invisible.

We couldn’t do it with out you our Sous Chefs (partners) thank you for your support

John, Leigh Ann and the IMFK Team