Bread, bread....

[primsong]

Just got word that the lady I work alongside in our Food Cupboard fell and shattered her kneecap - owww... Some of the men at the church are trying to figure out how they can modify her home for a wheelchair and I'm off to gather bread in the morning. Seems she was the one who drove to a neighboring city where a Safeway has been good enough to donate cartloads of day-old bread for us to give out, so my wagon gets to be stuffed with it!

I really don't give enough thought to where all these things come from sometimes - I mean, I notice when I buy sugar or jam and it's the *only* sugar or jam we have to give out that week but do I give thought to where all the *rest* of the food came from? Thank goodness for volunteers.

Stopped by the church to drop off something and as I was locking up had a woman in a van pull up and cry about how they'd lost their employment and had little kids and didn't know what to do - all she could think of was to try going to a church. Wow. I gave her the info she needed and will hopefully see her collecting some food... We're getting more and more 'first timers' in the pantry every week.

*is thankful for dinner*

Comments

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

Our church pantry has gone from one or two 'customers' a month to a dozen or more each time they're open (twice a month). A couple of the people have started attending services too, so I'm glad we can help them with more than just physical food.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Bless you guys for helping out! We thankfully have a central organization network they have to call to set what time they'll be there and how many are in the family to be fed, so we don't get overwhelmed with walk-ins on any particular day. It was something set up to coordinate the services available at the various churches in the area, sadly started because of folks who were abusing the generosity but in the end very helpful in our being able to verify the real need of the ones coming in and to be sure everyone can get a fair share.

This was one of the positive things that came from our having to close our grade-school a bit ago, that we now have a modular building devoted just to the food ministry so there's room for the row of freezers, shelving, etc. and can open/close it sort of like a store without 'strangers' having to come in where the preschool is.

[iorhael94.livejournal.com]

Wow! I am *so* thrilled to hear what you church is doing to help people out in this financial crisis! So many churches these days (particuarly the mega churches) don't give a rip about the community and the people that are hurting there...but instead just ask for money to add perks to their own church (not to mention a helopad in the case of the Christian Faith Center right near us here which we visited at Christmas time and were completed disgusted with their twenty minutes of fund raising Christmas message ;o!

I have three major criteria for a church now and helping out in the community is one of them.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

The level of service in our church is pretty high - we have a big impact for a little mostly-low-income congregation, that and the transparent honesty in the leadership is what made us stay when we first came there several years ago. A lot of what happens there is straight out of volunteers pockets so we can use our slim tithing to keep the lights and heat going. Plenty of smaller churches in the same situation and working hard in one area or another out there. :-)

[estellye.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking of and worrying about the pantry I looked after before I moved to North Carolina. We were always stretched so thin and it is such a poor county. I can't imagine what might be happening now with more "first timers" as you said! I should go donate food somewhere...thanks for the idea!

[primsong.livejournal.com]

It's hard to leave behind something that you put your time and efforts into that way, I hope it is in good hands. And yes! Grab a couple extra of whatever is on sale at the store, as long as it isn't green-beans or chicken-noodle soup. (we always have a tidal flood of those, but really, how many times can a person eat that in a row?) :-)

I buy staples like flour and sugar plus canned fruit, syrups and jams. Folks always donate pancake mix and peanut butter, but never anything to go with them, lol...

[thisbluespirit]

I realise this isn't the correct response, but: you work in a food cupboard? With more than one other person?

TARDIS?

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Shhh.... don't tell anyone! So far they haven't noticed....