Scraps

If people are truly hungry, they should be grateful for any food they get.

I've actually heard people say this. People who probably have never been hungry. Okay, that's judgmental on my part, but I have to wonder if someone who says such a thing understands hunger, let alone Christ's teachings.

I'm reminded of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. In life, the rich man had what he needed and apparently much of what he wanted. But, if we read between the lines, he did nothing with his abundant wealth to help those in need. It's not as if he didn't have a constant reminder of that need, because a beggar named Lazarus was always at his gate. A beggar who was hungry--who would have been grateful for even what fell from the table. Scraps. And he should have been grateful for those scraps, right?

But this parable isn't really about the beggar, is it? It's about the giver--about his actions and his attitude. The Bible teaches that we are to give God our first fruits--our best. It also teaches that whatever we do to the "least of these" we do to Jesus. While giving "scraps" is better than simply ignoring the needy, I believe we truly follow Christ when we treat those in need with dignity, love, and mercy.

I'm grateful for food donations to Grace Now, really I am. The majority of what we receive is great. But I have to admit that sometimes I'm disappointed by some of the things we get. I mean, how is a hungry family supposed to find sustenance from that can of jalapenos or water chestnuts? And why do people donate food they themselves wouldn't feel comfortable serving to their families. At Grace Now, we've received rusted cans and food that has long since expired (the worst were a couple of jars of peanut butter that expired in 1989!). Scraps?

In the next post, I'll further explain the Grace Now philosophy about the food we give out and why is costs so much to keep the pantry going.

Mr. M

Okay, so Mr. M came into Grace Now tonight. He was friendly as usual, but I could tell something was wrong. I knew he'd been going through a tough time lately. But it was crazy tonight--people everywhere. It would be a while before we got to Mr. M.

When I finally sat down with him and asked him how he was doing, he replied, "Fair."

"What's going on?" I asked.

He then explained that he and his family (his wife, his daughter, and his graddaughter) had to move recently. They lost everything in the move. The problem is that he draws about $600 a month in assistance and his rent and utilities takes almost every dime. He has nothing left. Nothing.

He's hoping to fins a small house, preferably in the country, where the rent is more reasonable--$300-$350 a month (if you live in Richmond and know of anything, please let me know).

So what's so special about Mr. M? While he was waiting for his turn tonight, he was out in the parking lot smoking a cigarette. He saw a woman crying and asked her what was wrong. She was from Irvine (a town about 10 miles away) and had given some people a ride to the pantry. They had promised her gas money but then left her there at the pantry. She didn't have any money to get the gas to get home. So what did Mr. M do? He gave her his last $5, drove her to the gas station, and then took her back to her car.

This is what it's all about. It's not about "us" giving. It's about a spirit of giving. People who think that those who come to food banks are there only for a handout just haven't seen what I've seen. Yeah, I give, but when I'm around people like Mr. M, I realize that it's fairly easy for me to give out of my abundance. I've seen a whole lot of people give in spite of their own need.

Grace Now has taught me that while we provide food and clothing, the more important thing we give is ourselves. I've learned that while people come in for the resources we offer, many of them are lonely and somewhat forgotten and they just need someone to care about them. Mr. M said to me tonight, "I don't like telling people my problems, but you and your husband are the only ones who will listen." At Grace Now, we could be more efficient in "processing" people, but for us--and I think for most of our clients--it's about the relationship.

Some people have misconceptions of food pantries and the people who come to them. I know I did before I began volunteering at Grace Now.

I first became involved with Grace Now in October 2002. The food pantry, which had been started by a couple of people in my church, had been operating for about 10 months. For the first year or so of my experience at Grace Now, we might have a handful a clients in each night; granted we were open more nights a week than we are now. But back then providing food to about 20-30 families a week seemed like a huge number. Now, due to limited resources, we're only open one night a week and we provide for 60-80 families a week. We are now a separate Kentucky non-profit corporation and are a 501(c)3 corporporation. People from numerous churches and organizations, as well as some current or former clients, make up our all-volunteer staff.

Unlike a lot of food pantries, Grace Now seeks to build relationships with our clients. Our mission is to make a positive difference in our community by providing resources, particularly food and clothing, to people in need, and to assist them in a way that treats them with dignity and demonstrates to them God’s unconditional love and grace. Sometimes this personal touch means slower processing times, but it's what makes going to the pantry on Monday nights worth it.

There are many stories I could share from my seven years at Grace Now, but a few stand out.

A few years ago, my husband and I were eating dinner at the Chinese buffet when a woman in her 50s came up to our table. She looked familiar, and I was in that "I know you but can't place you" state in my mind. She identified herself as a former Grace Now client and wanted to thank us for helping her. She was excited to tell us that she had just finished a nursing degree at a local community college and that the help the food pantry gave her during a difficult time had meant a lot to her.

A certain man has been coming to the pantry for at least as long as I've been associated with it. He's a short, rotund man whose plaid shirt never seems to button completely around his belly. His face is scruffy and his hands are always black with grease and dirt. When he speaks, I have to listen carefully because he mumbles a bit. In other circumsatnces, I might be tempted to avoid contact with him--but I'd be missing out on being around one of the sweetest people in the world. Several years back, he came into Grace Now on his birthday. The former director of the food pantry said to him that if she had known it was his birthday she'd have baked him a cake. He then confessed that he'd never had a birthday cake. The next day, she baked him a cake and took it to his house. The next time he came into the pantry, my husband--ever the jokester--was ragging on Mr. M for eating the cake because he's diabetic. "You stay out of my business," he laughed as he wagged a finger in Glenn's face. (People have been known to be disappointed if Glenn isn't working, asking "Where's the guy that always picks on me?"). And every time since then when Mr. M comes into Grace Now there's a lot of laughing and joking and hugging.

Over the years, we've talked to and prayed with people who are going through personal or health crises; we've befreinded people who are trying to break free of addictions; we've celebrated with them the joys in their lives and mourned with them their losses; we've encouraged them when they've decided to go back to school; and we've worked with them to find the necessary resources to simply survive.

To be sure, not every story is a success story. But my job isn't to judge. Grace, after all, is undeserved, unearned. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help meet the needs of people who are struggling in life--an experience I'm thankful I haven't had to endure. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to meet the people who come to Grace Now. Each person is is a gift.
Orignally posted as a note on Facebook

Welcome to Grace Now Chronicle

At the suggestion of a friend, I started this blog to share the incredible and inspirational stories from Grace Now food pantry and clothes closet.