For most people it is an effort to figure out what type of cuisine to eat for lunch. They take it for granted that they will be able eat lunch. However, there are some children and families who wonder if they will be able eat lunch at all today. For the homeless, eating lunch is something they cannot take for granted.
Project Compassion believes that every child and family should be able to have lunch.
In October 2005, Rachel Jackson-Bramwell founded Project Compassion, which serves the homeless population on both sides of the river. It frequently provides brown bag lunches to the homeless in Lucas Park in Downtown St. Louis. Jackson-Bramwell said she is aware that Downtown residents want the homeless to go elsewhere. She feels instead of protesting to remove the homeless that Downtown residents should focus more on finding a solution to the homelessness issue.
Project Compassion operates year-around. Every last Saturday of each month, volunteers go out to assigned delivery locations to provide brown bag lunches to the homeless.
Jackson-Bramwell said, “Our goal is to assist in strengthening the living conditions of the homeless individuals and poverty-stricken areas throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.” In March, Jackson-Bramwell was chosen as the Powerful Difference Regional Award winner. Project Compassion $2,000 to support its work with the homeless in St. Louis area. In June, Project Compassion was featured in Ebony magazine.
Jackson-Bramwell said, “We are always in need of volunteers, but we have had some great volunteers this year. The majority of our volunteers have been young people and it is exciting to see them doing something positive and giving back to the community.”
This spring, 5th graders from Blessed Sacrament school, teenagers from Red Brush Christian Church in Louisville, IL and students at Belleville East High School joined together to care for those in need. They prepared 1,000 sandwiches and hundreds of care package items for those in need. After the lunches were prepared, a group of 18 teenagers went out into the community to distribute gloves, blankets and socks.
Jackson-Bramwell said volunteers don’t have worry about safety when distributing items because the group travels with a security team and the volunteers work on the buddy system. Jackson-Bramwell said distributing lunches and care items is not for everyone. Other ways you can help, she said, is to hold a supply drive for care package items or to send a monetary donation.
“If you don’t have anything to give, then pray,” she said.
For more information, visit projectcompassionnfp.alphaillustrations.com. To volunteer or donate to Project Compassion, contact Rachel Jackson-Bramwell at (618) 698-7122 or pcompassion@hotmail.com.