Almost two months ago I experienced a devastating loss when my best friend of 27 years lost her 9 year old son. Having not ever gone through loss as painful as this before I was so grateful for those who stepped up to help us through those first couple of weeks as we muddled our way through all that needed to be done. In particular, having meals delivered to the house was an amazing blessing to the family. Here are some tips I learned throughout the process that I thought might be beneficial to others wanting to prepare a meal for someone in need. {continue reading at The Juice}
19 Comments
Awesome stuff my friend! Keep it coming….
I cant post on the other site but I want to say that 3 1/2 years ago my then 3 year odl son suffered a life changing medical emergency which had him in PICU for 21 days his life was seriously in the balance. We were devastated and in shock. The the expat community that we lived in were just like our family. For 21 days we had a meal delivered. Each from a different family. Most were freezable. I will never forget their generosity and kindness.
Last week the kids and I had the flu while my husband was away on business. Three different friends brought in dinner for us & we felt so loved. Nothing was complicated or elaborate.
Great tips! Having experienced the loss of a child I know how beneficial it is to have food of any kind cooked for you. I would also like to add that one of the most helpful things was when people brought paper goods…plates, napkins, cups and utensils. We didn’t have to wash dishes as often.
When my friend was setting up my baby shower for the twins, I asked for lots of clutter-free things like babysitting and meals in disposable dishes. Lots of people thought that was crazy (here in SA they love giving cute clothes to babies) but one friend gave me two meals plus some baby stuff, and …. we were SO GRATEFUL to have them when they were both home. I sent her a text message and said “we’re having your lasagne tonight” and she was tickled pink.
so it blessed the giver and receiver
I grew up in a rural community, and it was always a common practice to provide food for others during times of sickness, loss, when a new baby arrived, etc. It was just part of life — you really didn’t “think” about doing it.
After living in the community for 30+ years, my mother was the recipient of such kindness last year when my father died unexpectedly. I can’t tell you what a blessing it was to her (and to the rest of us). The blessing didn’t come only from receiving the food. The thought that people would take time from their busy lives to do something so thoughtful, drop it off and actually visit for a minute — that’s what touched us most.
Because I’m an organizing nut, I love the idea of a schedule. It eliminates duplicate foods, etc. But as my mother so wisely reminds me, we need to let people do what they know they can do (whether it’s because of time, finances or skill). Otherwise we limit them, and everyone may miss out on the blessing (whether in giving or receiving).
Great article. Thanks for sharing.
i am on bed rest enjoying some soup right now that one of our many friends brought us.
what an amazing way to see love in action!
Excellent article! I’m so sorry about your friend’s loss – I can’t even begin to imagine!
I can relate to your entry. I’ve been through 2 major surgeries over the past 6 years, both times I had wonderful support groups who pulled together and and brought meals over for the first week or so for me and my family. I can’t think of anything that would have been more helpful than the gift of those meals!
I love the idea the Organising Queen left for giving meals as a baby shower gift – I usually try to provide a meal for new mom’s anyway but what a great idea to include it as part of the baby shower gift, especially if the host asks all the guests to do the same! Just bring a pack of diapers, wipes and a coupon for a meal! Perfect!
Great post. A home cooked meal is such a blessing, whether it’s a joyous occassion, such as a birth, or a sad occasion, like the passing of a loved one.
Here’s a post on the dish I carry to families in need.
http://mealplanningwithconnie.blogspot.com/2009/09/recipe-my-bless-your-heart-dish-chicken.html
Since I pre-cook a lot of my meats and freeze them, I can keep all the ingredients on hand for this dish. I am almost always asked for the recipe.
Your friend is so blessed to have you in her life. She is in my prayers.
Many blessings
Last April the area in which I live was devastated by a tornado. Such a blessing that no one was hurt. My husband and I had just moved here from a different state and knew no one. But the community came thru. For 10 days we had no power or water yet we were brought food and water 3 times a day. The whole experience was overwhelming and a blessing at the same time.
A group of friends and I have an ongoing system for delivering meals. It’s happened most often with new babies, but deaths in the family, injuries, etc. have come up. We just take every Tuesday and Thursday for 6 weeks, everyone chooses a date and go from there. When my daughter was born, I was so excited about our meal plan. I’ve joked that I’d have another baby just to get 2 good, complete meals on the table per week! But we’ve all also collected some of our favorite recipes this way!
At a church I attended, when someone had a baby, we women would sign up to bring them meals for 2 weeks. I was beyond blessed by these same women, when I had an emergency c-section with my daughter. I came home to a house that was spotless AND to a schedule of a whole MONTH of meals!!! What a blessing. I will never, ever forget how much pressure that took off me and I could heal & enjoy my new baby.
Good grief it was quite a challenge to comment over there – I finally figured it out… great post!
I have always loved to give a home-cooked meal/baking as gifts – I think it’s so much more thoughtful than something you just pick up as you dash through the department store. And especially when someone is in need of love and encouragement, this is a really special way to show you care.
This was a very good post with some very good ideas. I have been both the receipient and the coordinator for gifts of food many times. Its the most amazing blessing when you’re receiving, but I think its an even greater blessing to be the one bringing the meal. I do have one favorite, easy go-to meal~baked spaghetti~but I’ve taken lots of stuff. Its really not hard to do. And I always try to include a bag of salad, some bread and a dessert, all in disposable containers, of course:) I like to keep one or two of the foil ones w/lids around for just that sort of thing.
Hey, I just found your blog. My favorite store is the Container Store! You have some great suggestions. My husband has a chronic illness, and when he flares several kind friends and family members bring us meals. The disposable containers is perfect! When people from our church organize a week of meals for families that have just had babies, I like to send a breakfast basket with muffins, orange juice, milk, yogurt, coffee, etc.
For sad occasions, in addition to paper cups, plates etc. I try to take toilet tissue and facial tissue and maybe hand soap/sanitizer. Many times the death is unexpected and the family is not prepared for the influx of people crying etc.
This is GREAT. I just had minor surgery three weeks ago, and my family has been blessed by many friends and family with meals. I have to say, we love lasagna, but it does get old! This is a wonderful tool.
I think others might have mentioned this too, but I always take meals in disposable containers; that way the recipient doesn’t have to worry about returning them to me.
Great article! Loved the comment on the other site about big families and bringing easy snacks. I think this is a great idea for any size family and especially those with younger children who may be picky eaters or all day grazers. Nutritious muffins, fruit or veggies already cut up and prepared with a dip, cheese and crackers, or cookie bars with some real food ingredients (oatmeal, peanut butter, etc) are some possibilities.