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Feed 138 families each week at the Thursday Table in Tokyo

Saki runs a volunteer pantry feeding 138 families; this fund restocks shelves for the winter.

🇯🇵 Japan3,659 views
Saki Mariko Fujimoto
Email verified
Tokyo
Since 2023, our volunteer team has run the Thursday Table every Thursday from the back of the parish hall. We started with 23 families, and now we feed 138 each week. Donations have dropped by about 51% this winter, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 14 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Tokyo market and keep every receipt. Each $35 feeds a family of four for a week. All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs. Where the $2,550 goes: • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $1,550 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $350 • Baby formula and diapers: $390 • Refrigeration and electricity: $260 Glad we found this place. - Saki

Updates from Saki

  1. Small update. $1,018 so far, the first invoice got paid this week.

  2. Update from Tokyo: the plan for fresh vegetables and fruit is now scheduled. We're at 29% of the goal. Thank you for believing in us.

  • Elise Isabelle Lopez 🇫🇷 · $10
  • Tanvi M. Saxena 🇬🇧 · $10
  • Ouma James Ngowi 🇰🇪 · $44

    “Thinking of you. Please keep us posted. - Kisumu”

  • Theresa Friedrich 🇩🇪 · $25
  • Shanice J. Gordon 🇯🇲 · $20
  • Wilfredo E. Dela Cruz 🇵🇭 · $25

    “Wishing you the best. Thought of Saki all day after reading this. - Caloocan”

  • Sun-hee Ye-eun Yoo 🇰🇷 · $20

    “You got this. Saw your post and had to give. - Gangnam”

  • Lucky Dayo Hassan 🇳🇬 · $10
  • Lanre Paul Falana 🇳🇬 · $18
  • Stefan Berger 🇩🇪 · $250
  • Caleb G. Pickett 🇺🇸 · $25

    “Happy to help. Thought of Saki all day after reading this. - New York”

  • Adrian W. Alvarado 🇬🇧 · $5
  • Pravin Adams 🇿🇦 · $25

    “Wishing you the best. I'm in Durban, thinking of you. - Durban”

  • Winnie Achieng Hamisi 🇹🇿 · $14

    “Good luck. From Arusha with love. - Arusha”

  • Anonymous 🇧🇩 · $20

    “Hope this helps. Thought of Saki all day after reading this. - Khulna”

  • Akira Hayato Sato 🇯🇵 · $10
  • Kendall E. Fisher 🇺🇸 · $5
  • Anonymous 🇺🇸 · $100
  • Hyun-ju Ye-jin Cho 🇰🇷 · $30
  • Thomas Clément Rey 🇲🇦 · $30

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  • how is Saki doing now?

    • Wishing you peace, Saki. Looking forward to the next update. My husband and I read this together. Take care.

      • Thinking of you and your family, Saki. Projects like this are what make a place worth living in. Take care.

        • Sending good thoughts, Saki. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. Greetings from Shubra

          • Hope it all works out, Saki. More neighborhoods should do this. Sent it to 33 people at work.

            • This could happen to any of us. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust. Blessings

              • is there anything that isn't money that would help Saki?

                • Best of luck. Gave what I could, wish it was more. Love from Thessaloniki.

                  • Best of luck, Saki. Shared it with a few friends. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust.

                    • Jackson A. CamposPhoto verified

                      So sorry you're going through this. More neighborhoods should do this. Blessings.

                      • Thanks for sharing this, Saki. Your post was clear and honest. Read this on the bus and kept thinking about it all day

                        • sending good thoughts. Gave what I could, wish it was more. Don't lose heart. A few weeks ago I was in a hole too and it changed faster than I expected

                          • Best of luck. Shared this with my family. I'm in retail myself and wanted you to know we're cheering for you. God bless

                            • more neighborhoods should do this. Sent it to 3 people at work. God bless

                              • Keep going. I've been in a tough spot myself and it does get easier. I told my book club about it and three of them are giving too. Love from Ekurhuleni.

                                • Nalini P. BothaVerified organization

                                  Praying for you, Saki. Looking forward to the next update. My neighbor had a similar thing happen so this one hit home

                                  • Wishing you the best. Projects like this are what make a place worth living in. I went through something like this 12 years ago and strangers helped me out. God bless.

                                    • Shared it with a few friends. We lost years of savings to something like this so I get it. Love from Berlin

                                      • Thinking of you, Saki. This could happen to any of us. This is the second need I've supported on here and the first that made me cry. Blessings

                                        • Sending good thoughts, Saki. Hope this works out for you. Take care

                                          $2,400 raised of $2,550

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