An Extra-ORRdinary Event!

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

2008 marks the 15th Anniversary of one of East End Cooperative Ministry's most special programs, the Orr Compassionate Care Center. Over the last 15 years, 2,447 men and women have come to the Orr Center to heal after illness or injury. In "official speak," the Orr Center is a non-medical respite care facility (which means we don't have medical professionals on staff). But our clients just think of it as a safe place to get better.

The men and women who stay at the Orr Center come to us because they don't have anywhere else to go. The Center is classified as an emergency shelter and many of our guests are homeless. Others are simply poor and alone -- and for whatever reason, their living situation at home isn't conducive to healing.

In celebration of this milestone birthday, we hosted a fun and informal Community Barbecue last Sunday. There were tents in the parking lot, tours of the Center, and absolutely fantastic ribs. And birthday cake, of course! Several of the original founders of the program, including Rev. Doug Dunderdale and Joan and John Millar, joined the celebration and a good time was had by all.

In Memory of Dennis

Last Friday, staff and volunteers gathered at the New Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church to say goodbye to Dennis Clifford, a former client and much admired staff member here at EECM. Dennis was a regular fixture in the kitchen, helping prepare meals and acting as official greeter for visitors. Anyone who walked through the door could expect to be welcomed with a glass of juice and a friendly hello. He will be missed.

Dennis Clifford
April 15, 1953 -- September 3, 2008

Sauce Boss Videos

He sings, he dances, he makes roux. He is ... The Sauce Boss.




And a little more Sauce Boss...



And just a bit more!

Gumbo for the Masses

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

Whew. Last Thursday was a busy day at EECM. We had the Volunteer Celebration and our visit by Bill "The Sauce Boss" Wharton. Let me set the scene for you for the latter event (or check out video by clicking here).

Picture a dining room packed to the gills with Soup Kitchen guests, all watching with rapt attention the antics of a middle-aged white guy in a chef's hat as he plays the steel guitar, tosses out original blues lines, and stirs a huge pot of gumbo over a giant Bunsen burner. In the background, two other musicians play bass and occasionally take a turn on a washboard vest contraption. It was pretty incredible.

So was the gumbo. The Sauce Boss asked the room if anyone had never had gumbo. I didn't even say anything, but he clearly knew a newbie when he saw one because he marched over and demanded "And what about you? Have you ever had gumbo?" I confessed my ignorance of the gumbo arts and he consoled me with a hug and a promise that I would soon see the light. And he was right -- that was some good food.

And in case you have a hankering, here's the recipe, straight from the Sauce Boss website. You can buy his special hot sauce there, too.

Gumbo ala Sauce Boss

Feeds 8-12 people

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups oil

1 chicken, cooked and de-boned

1 gallon of chicken stock

2 large onions

2 large green peppers

1/2 cup LIQUID SUMMER HOT SAUCE

1 pound smoked sausage

2 medium zucchini

1 pound okra

1 pound of shrimp

1 pint of oysters

1 pound of crawdads

Make a roux: mix 2 cups of flour into 1 1/2 cups hot oil. Cook on high, stirring constantly until brown. Add the chicken, chicken stock, onions, and green peppers. Bring to a boil, then simmer down. Add salt to taste and 1/2 cup of . . . (drum roll) BILL WHARTON'S LIQUID SUMMER HOT SAUCE.

Slice and add: 1 pound of smoked sausage, 2 medium zucchini, and 1 pound of okra. When the okra is done, bring the gumbo to a rolling boil and add shrimp, oysters, and crawdads. Cook for 3 minutes, or until shrimp are just barely cooked.

Serve over rice and splash with more Liquid Summer Hot Sauce.

We Love Our Volunteers

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

You know it's a rocking party when even the eight-month-pregnant lady gets out on the dance floor to learn the salsa. The pregnant lady was me and the rocking party was EECM's annual Volunteer Celebration event, held last night at Absolute Ballroom.

Each year we try to honor the accomplishments of our wonderful volunteers. Our attempts at saying thank you will always be inadequate because nothing can really capture the extent of our gratitude. Our programs wouldn't function without hundreds of volunteers who donate thousands of hours of their time each year. It's that simple. And we wanted to say thanks with an evening of fun, fellowship, and dancing.

The Volunteer Celebration is always a great equalizer and great fun. We get people from all walks of life as volunteers and they mingled together, totally at ease. Business executives chatted with clients of our homeless programs. 80 year old volunteer veterans shared stories with 20 year old newcomers. Volunteers danced with each other and with staff. And everyone had a fabulous time.

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

Announcing: The Sauce Boss

"The inventor of gastronomical boogie woogie.

He sings the blues.

He cooks the gumbo.

He plays the guitar.

He writes the tunes.

He feeds the masses.

He makes his very own hot sauce.

That’s why they call him … THE SAUCE BOSS"

That's right! At 11am on Thursday, September 4th, Bill "The Sauce Boss" Wharton will be making a very special appearance at EECM's Soup Kitchen.

The Sauce Boss travels the country, performing at shelters and community venues as part of his Gumbo Crusade -- he feeds the hungry while singing some righteous blues. Bill will whip up a vat of gumbo for the guests of EECM's Soup Kitchen while also filling the room with cajun-themed tunes from the Florida cypress swamps.

Everyone is invited to share in this great experience. Lunch is (always) free and so is the music. Come and join us for some gumbo and the blues!