Mishele had just moved to Pasadena and was looking for a way to connect with the community. She heard about Friends In Deed, looked us up online, read about The Women’s Room, and got in touch. She has been involved in making lunch for The Women’s Room on a monthly basis ever since!
As a member of a homeschooling group, it seemed very natural to Mishele to bring in the homeschooling community. The lunches are a group effort, involving several moms and multiple children, all of whom embraced the idea of Friends In Deed with enthusiasm. The group was happy to have the opportunity – not everywhere welcomes kids.
The kids grew up and went their separate ways – but the moms weren’t ready to quit. Having called themselves the “Homeschooling Moms” for several years, they rebranded themselves as “The Cookies” – reflecting the opening line of their monthly communication email – “Hey Cookies!” At the same time, some of the children have retained their association with us – Mishele’s son Henry came back to volunteer with us during his winter vacation this year!
Mishele takes pains to emphasize that she could not create these delicious, healthy lunches without the enthusiastic engagement of all the Cookies – Lisa, Richele, Jane, Rachel, Nicole, Lolita, and Carie. Not to forget also Jennifer, with whom Mishele made a pact, years ago, that whatever mishap or craziness might occur, they would always get a lunch on the table for our ladies. The photo shows, left to right, Rachel, Nicole, Jennifer, and Mishele.
We are also thrilled that, as a result of Mishele’s involvement, our relationship with Trader Joe’s grocery store has grown. Mishele’s husband works for Trader Joe’s, and we get regular donations of food. A more recent development has been donations of flowers, no longer saleable but still beautiful, which our TWR ladies love to arrange and enjoy.