HOPE opens its doors to many organizations, businesses, and churches to enable them to volunteer and do community service together as a group. Recently, a local church brought their youth group down for a week of service. The teens worked in our food pantry, sorted donations, and packed lunches for our Kids of HOPE program.
On their last day with HOPE, they spent some time helping clients in our food pantry, and were touched by the individuals they met there. One such individual, Ron, has been unemployed and actively seeking work for over a year. His unemployment just ran out, and they are attempting to survive on his wife’s part time salary. They have two middle school aged children. Ron has been coming to get food from the pantry, and because we are aware of his situation, we always slip him a little something extra to get by.
The leader of the church youth group and his children approached the staff at HOPE, and asked if they could please use the $40.00 that they had to do something extra nice for one family. Our minds immediately jumped to Ron, who had just left with his pantry goods. We knew that he had been without milk and eggs for a month, and that there were some things that our pantry just couldn’t provide for him. What a blessing to have these amazing students reach out to their fellow man in a tangible and loving way!
Ron was very touched and started to cry when the students asked him for a list of things he needed, and set off for the local grocery store to purchase them. While we waited with Ron, one of the student leaders purchased a $20 hope “gift card” which would allow Ron to also purchase things from our thrift store. The students returned with 8 bags of groceries to go with the two boxes we gave him from the pantry. I know that he and his family will be eating well tonight, and that the students that were involved learned a very valuable lesson about the worth of their fellow man today.
Thank you so much to everyone involved in bringing a little joy into Ron's day and life!!
Jailene Warren
Food Pantry Coordinator
IT Facilitator
HOPE Helps, Inc.
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