Mondays....most people dread them. I love them and the reason that I love them is because Mondays are my days volunteering at my county's Baptist Ministry center. We offer many of the services that so many other relief agencies do. What makes us different is that the Gospel of Christ is at the heart of our ministry. People come to us looking to satisfy immediate and temporal physical needs. We're happy to do that and take it one step further and look at meeting those needs that are everlasting and spiritual.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Center. There are eight staff members and three of them are considered to be missionaries with the North American Mission Board. I remember when it was called the "Home Mission Board." *Sigh* Much of what goes on with our community outreach is powered by volunteers. Volunteers man the desk to greet clients as they come in and handle the related paper work. Volunteers act as interviewers...gathering information and finding out what the needs are and how we can meet them. Volunteers run the register in the thrift shop. Volunteers sort and price donations that are brought in and used to stock the thrift store. Volunteers, most of them retired pastors, serve as chaplains. While all of us are charged with being bearers of God's Light, our chaplains' chief responsibility is to share the Good News. Volunteers also work in the food pantry. We get donations from our local churches, county schools, local businesses and large private corporations. Dry goods, frozen foods, cold perishables, school supplies, diapers, formula and baby food...we have a little bit of everything.
My part in all of this is cooking lunch for the staff and volunteers...anywhere from 20-30 folks. What I cook depends on what we have on hand...I use the pantry and perishable supplies that are donated and it helps keep the stock rotated. While that doesn't necessarily impact our work with the clients, it's still a pretty important part of what we do. Some of our volunteers are with us by court order...they are doing community service or are part of a work-release program. Many of them are living in a 'half-way' house type situation and are not allowed to cook in their rooms, so the meals that they get at lunchtime might be the only decent meal they get all day. They pass by on their way out of the dining room and all of them are quick to say "thank you." There are some that smile REALLY big when they see me at our 8:30 devotion Evidently, I have a small fan club...many of them with shady or sketchy backgrounds, but fans nonetheless. Having a prepared lunch is our director's way of expressing his appreciation for the volunteers. Of course, he and the other staff members are grateful for the lunches, as well. How many companies do you know that provide their employees with lunch three days/week? Not just for special occasions...but regularly each week?
This past Monday was a little hairier than most. It was In-Service for our chaplains, so that meant extra mouths to feed. There was also a lot of action in the food pantry as it was one of the special days when there are extra donated goodies for the volunteers to take home. These extra goodies are usually things that we have an abundance of in the freezer or cooler (the BIG walk in fridge), so it was like a feeding frenzy. People rifling through the buggy..."What's this? How do I cook this? How will I know it's done?" It was CRAZY!!!! Mrs. Helen finally told them, "It's free food!" That sort of hushed the questions. Mrs. Helen is the "official" pantry manager. She's also one of THE sweetest women I have ever met and it didn't take long for our hearts to tangle. She's about the age of my own mama...maybe just a few years younger...but our relationship feels very mother-daughter.
In the midst of all this, one of our office volunteers came into the food pantry to tell us that there was a client family in the waiting room who needed food...not just groceries, which they were going to get at the end of their appointment, but something to eat. They were living at a local efficiency motel...equipped with only a small refrigerator and microwave. Daddy, Mama and two little kids...one toddler, one preschooler. My immediate response was, "We don't do that!" Because we don't...we aren't set up/licensed to distribute on-site meals to the public. That would be great and maybe that's something that we can do down the road, but right now...we don't do that. We have to be very careful and not leave ourselves open to liability or scrutiny from governmental agencies.
I was ashamed of my gut reaction, but Mrs. Helen and our other volunteer friend understood what I was saying. Evidently, this has happened once before...different client in a similar situation...and the solution was to send a meal out the door with their grocery order. We dished out some of what I had prepared and put it in the cart. I was helping Mrs. Helen get things in order for this family and we were talking and she said the most profound thing..."Thank you, Lord, for letting me be on this side of the door today." In other words, tomorrow it might be her on the other side of the door...on the asking side instead of the giving side. Maybe that's why I love being at the Center so much...we were on the asking side of the door pretty often when I was a kid. I'm not ashamed of it. It is what it is...or what it was what it was. There were times that no matter how hard Mama scraped, there just wasn't enough and she needed help. I'm thankful for the help that we received and am so thankful to behind the door called "Give."
Let me tell you a little bit about the Center. There are eight staff members and three of them are considered to be missionaries with the North American Mission Board. I remember when it was called the "Home Mission Board." *Sigh* Much of what goes on with our community outreach is powered by volunteers. Volunteers man the desk to greet clients as they come in and handle the related paper work. Volunteers act as interviewers...gathering information and finding out what the needs are and how we can meet them. Volunteers run the register in the thrift shop. Volunteers sort and price donations that are brought in and used to stock the thrift store. Volunteers, most of them retired pastors, serve as chaplains. While all of us are charged with being bearers of God's Light, our chaplains' chief responsibility is to share the Good News. Volunteers also work in the food pantry. We get donations from our local churches, county schools, local businesses and large private corporations. Dry goods, frozen foods, cold perishables, school supplies, diapers, formula and baby food...we have a little bit of everything.
My part in all of this is cooking lunch for the staff and volunteers...anywhere from 20-30 folks. What I cook depends on what we have on hand...I use the pantry and perishable supplies that are donated and it helps keep the stock rotated. While that doesn't necessarily impact our work with the clients, it's still a pretty important part of what we do. Some of our volunteers are with us by court order...they are doing community service or are part of a work-release program. Many of them are living in a 'half-way' house type situation and are not allowed to cook in their rooms, so the meals that they get at lunchtime might be the only decent meal they get all day. They pass by on their way out of the dining room and all of them are quick to say "thank you." There are some that smile REALLY big when they see me at our 8:30 devotion Evidently, I have a small fan club...many of them with shady or sketchy backgrounds, but fans nonetheless. Having a prepared lunch is our director's way of expressing his appreciation for the volunteers. Of course, he and the other staff members are grateful for the lunches, as well. How many companies do you know that provide their employees with lunch three days/week? Not just for special occasions...but regularly each week?
This past Monday was a little hairier than most. It was In-Service for our chaplains, so that meant extra mouths to feed. There was also a lot of action in the food pantry as it was one of the special days when there are extra donated goodies for the volunteers to take home. These extra goodies are usually things that we have an abundance of in the freezer or cooler (the BIG walk in fridge), so it was like a feeding frenzy. People rifling through the buggy..."What's this? How do I cook this? How will I know it's done?" It was CRAZY!!!! Mrs. Helen finally told them, "It's free food!" That sort of hushed the questions. Mrs. Helen is the "official" pantry manager. She's also one of THE sweetest women I have ever met and it didn't take long for our hearts to tangle. She's about the age of my own mama...maybe just a few years younger...but our relationship feels very mother-daughter.
In the midst of all this, one of our office volunteers came into the food pantry to tell us that there was a client family in the waiting room who needed food...not just groceries, which they were going to get at the end of their appointment, but something to eat. They were living at a local efficiency motel...equipped with only a small refrigerator and microwave. Daddy, Mama and two little kids...one toddler, one preschooler. My immediate response was, "We don't do that!" Because we don't...we aren't set up/licensed to distribute on-site meals to the public. That would be great and maybe that's something that we can do down the road, but right now...we don't do that. We have to be very careful and not leave ourselves open to liability or scrutiny from governmental agencies.
I was ashamed of my gut reaction, but Mrs. Helen and our other volunteer friend understood what I was saying. Evidently, this has happened once before...different client in a similar situation...and the solution was to send a meal out the door with their grocery order. We dished out some of what I had prepared and put it in the cart. I was helping Mrs. Helen get things in order for this family and we were talking and she said the most profound thing..."Thank you, Lord, for letting me be on this side of the door today." In other words, tomorrow it might be her on the other side of the door...on the asking side instead of the giving side. Maybe that's why I love being at the Center so much...we were on the asking side of the door pretty often when I was a kid. I'm not ashamed of it. It is what it is...or what it was what it was. There were times that no matter how hard Mama scraped, there just wasn't enough and she needed help. I'm thankful for the help that we received and am so thankful to behind the door called "Give."
What a wonderful experience, Michelle! We have a wonderful organization just down the street from us called Solid Ground. I used to volunteer pretty regularly there. It's a unique program that actually provides transitional housing for families of all shapes and sizes. They get a place to live for over a year, job search assistance, education, you name it! I miss being an active volunteer. I do what I can, but nothing regular.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this experience. It's a wonderful reminder of just how blessed we really are. We were "on the other side of the door" more than once or twice when I was a kid, too. I praise God for the opportunities he has provided for me to give back and for the humility to see the gift in being given to.
Totally crying here... Wow, Michelle~~~ Praise the Lord for the center and for the work you all do there...~~ Will be praying for that family and their little ones.~~~ Praying the Lord's blessings for you, too!!~ (And on Emily & her wagon~~~ Another beautiful tear-jerker!!!~)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful Friday & weekend!!~~~
Sincerely,
Tiffany~
Psalm 68:19