I've had a few people ask me about my follow-up to my November post about volunteering at the Fairmont Apartments. I was unable to go to the Christmas Party in December because it was the same night as Mason's Christmas Program at school. Everyone seemed to have a really great time though!
Due to some scheduling issues this month we were unable to go back to the Fairmont in January. Instead on Monday we gathered for Grocery Cart Night (GCN) in a parking lot across from the SporTran bus station. The purpose of GCN is to provide food and friendship to the homeless people in the downtown area.
Cassie, the director, pulled up in a SUV
LOADED down with canned food and other non-perishable items! Their were about 10 - 12 volunteers and we began to set up all the food on a table and in turn filled plastic grocery sacks with as much food as possible and few toiletry items. We were able to bag about 75 sacks.
Our instructions were to pass them out to each person there. The little voices in my head started to get a little louder and I began to wonder if people would be honest if they had already received a bag if asked by another volunteer if they needed one but to my surprise no one did that! They were so grateful for what they had and they realized the person sitting next to them needed supplies to survive as well.
Two men, separately, came to the table and in quiet voices, with what sounded like shame and humility, asked for deodorant and soap. It almost makes me cry right here tonight - can you imagine being 40 or 50 and having to walk up to a 20-something year old and admit that you smell and you cannot take care of yourself enough to buy your own soap? They were so kind when we were able to give them what they needed.
We had a few extra bags so we walked to the bus station to pass some out and more shocking things happened - people turned our bags away!! They said they weren't hungry so please look for someone else. I know I could use some free groceries so they fact that people were being so kind to their fellow man really touched me.
Finally the pizzas arrive and 60 grown adults do not complain about only being allowed one piece - they say Thank You! And they mean it! I eat three meals a day like clockwork and I would probably turn my nose up at one slice of pizza! But they were gracious! When all were fed extra slices went to the ladies.
I had some clothes and a few stuffed animals to donate and I gave the baby stuff to an expectant mother and one of her male relatives asked if I had any adult clothes and so I gave him (I say him in the loosest of terms) the bag to look through and he said, "Girl, I don't wear no men's clothes! But honey you ain't my size!" I admit I almost died and choked on lots of words before I just laughed and said sorry that was all I had!
When it was all done EVERYONE (volunteers and homeless together) loaded up tables, chairs, and trash and called it a night. Everyone kept thanking me and I answered them so truly when I said, "No, Thank You." Thank you for allowing me to wash your feet, thank you for allowing me to take care of the least of these, thank you for allowing compassion to stir in me, thank you for allowing me to bless you because in turn God has blessed me by showing me His love for the undesirable, by showing me what I have to be thankful for.
Our God is so good! I am still unworthy but not beyond redemption and grace.
Channel 6, the local NBC station, did a little story on the Hub, and you can find it on their homepage,
here, and look for the story entitled, Ministry Helps in a Revolutionary Way. There is also a link to the Hub's website from there. Next time you are in the grocery store and you feel so inclined pick up a few "pop-top" items, save them until you get a bag full, donate to the Hub, via me or the instructions on their website, and then go home and realize for about $15 or less you just fed an adult for a week. Take it from me - it feels good!
I put my foot down and demanded that Mason pick one toy he didn't play with anymore to give to someone else and if he couldn't do that in five minutes then I would pick it out for him. And then I hear . . . "okay, mommy!" I give myself a smug grin and congratulate myself on my parenting skills and how thoughtful Mason is being until he hands me the toy he picked out (like on CSI I've included some other objects for size reference) . . .
Apparently I should have been more specific as to the size of the toy he needed to give away!! He only chose this dinsosaur because he had been chewing on it. This in no way endangers our dinosaur population as we still have approximately 40 of the extinct creatures. Anyway, this little dinosaur hit the trash instead of Goodwill . . . but I guess you have to start somewhere!
