Hands Up Feeds Moab
WabiSabi does more than sustain community health and vibrancy; it also supports these same qualities in individuals. Through food. WabiSabi’s Hands Up program provides eight meals a year – including Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners – to the community free of charge. These events bring people together and help them through Moab’s lean winter months. Both literally and figuratively, Hands Up feeds Moab.
Hands Up began in the fall of 2005 as a means of helping low-income families and individuals during the winter months when few job opportunities exist in Moab’s predominantly tourism-based economy. With generous donations from businesses and individuals – including food, supplies, freezer space, kitchens, and volunteer hours – WabiSabi is able to provide six Sunday brunches and two holiday dinners to hundreds of Moabites in need of food and a sense of family.
These meals attract people from all walks of life, breaking down cultural and socio-economic barriers while strengthening community ties. In 2008, over 350 meals were served at each of the holiday dinners – twice the number served the previous year. Last year’s brunches averaged approximately 180 meals, also a significant increase.
The Hands Up program illustrates the cohesiveness of the Moab community. Over 100 volunteers cook, serve, clean, decorate and coordinate each winter’s meals. The Youth Garden Project, Moab Arts and Recreation Center and Grand County Senior Center contribute their facilities for cooking and serving. Ninety percent of the food served is donated by area restaurants and individuals. Last Christmas, Red Cliffs Lodge alone provided and prepared 28 turkeys, replete with all the trimmings.
Hands Up Feeds Moab is a chance for the big-hearted individuals, selfless nonprofits, and generous businesses of Moab to unite in sustaining the individual bodies – and the collective heart – that comprise the Moab community.
This program is made possible through grant from United Way of Southeastern Utah.
