TUC RICE PROJECT

"...blessed is he who is kind to the needy" - Proverbs 14:21

Tokyo Union Church makes and distributes onigiri (rice cakes) for approximately 120 homeless people living around Shibuya Station. This project is supported by the Outreach Committee and the Women's Society of TUC.

This year we will continue to deliver onigiri to the homeless in Yoyogi Park which amounts to an additional 50 rice cakes. As you can see this project increases every year due to the ever changing economic climate. We all know many people who were here last year have now gone home, so we rely upon newcomers to Tokyo to enable us to fulfil our ambition.

You can offer your hand to these neighbours of ours in one of the following ways:

1. PREPARING THE ONIGIRI

The TUC Women's Society gathers in small groups of 6 to 8 people every day to prepare the rice for next day's delivery. The rice will be ready when the volunteers arrive. No cooking is necessary. They will simply remove the rice from the cookers and press it into the onigiri moulds.

The rice cakes are packaged into containers and loaded into paper shopping bags for the delivery team. In addition to the time you give, you also receive the gifts of friendship and lasting memories from the fellowship you have within your rice preparation team.

2. DELIVERING THE ONIGIRI

The distribution occurs in the early morning, Monday through Saturday, between 5:00-6:00 a.m. and takes approximately 30 minutes for Shibuya. After that hour people are on the move or are being rousted out of their resting places. The route is covered on foot by one or more people each day. Yoyogi Park delivery takes place at 7 p.m. which takes around 10 minutes. Participation in the distribution is rewarding for both individual volunteers and entire families through the relationships that you develop over time with these needy people.

Either of the above volunteer opportunities requires only one/two mornings or evenings of your time per month (or more if you can spare the time). To sign up or for more information, please contact the Women's Society at 3400-0942 or the Church Office at 3400-0047. Please consider participating in this effort to help feed some of Tokyo's hungry people. Thank you!

3. RICE DELIVERY SCHEDULE

The following is the Shibuya rice delivery schedule for the month of May 2001:

Substitute Deliverers: Randy Cochrane 3440-2996/Isaku Murakami 090-9317-0210/ikukoOmori5494-7217

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