A Time to Give - and a Time to Receive.
Falling asleep at my computer... I am so beat from this heat (95 degrees) and the activities of the day. It's a bad day to have no a/c in our minivan. The kids were drenched in sweat by 3pm.
We started our day early, heading to Catholic Charities Food Shelf. There were about 20 or more families waiting in line. So around an hour later it was our turn to be interviewed and go shopping. I grabbed a cart and each shelf station had amounts I could take based upon my family size. But only one visit allowed per calendar month. I came out with some canned food, and they had (near expiration) bread, lettuce, cheese, and yogurt. Pretty much everything there came from grocery stores, not individuals like our church group donations. Mondays must be better days to go. I was sad to see the smallest pile of baby food, and I could only take 5 small jars - enough to feed Sabrina for 1 day and no formula. Luckily what we saved today, I was able to buy it myself.
I was surprised to see some restaurants pitching in their leftovers: Red Lobster's baked potatoes, KFC's chicken and biscuits, and Sam's Club jumbo muffins. I ended up filling the grocery cart higher than I would on any other normal shopping trip. We even received one of the
"Kids Against Hunger" rice packs some of our homeschoolers have packed before. If we hadn't kept moving along, that would have been my break-down-and-cry moment. Not much of the food was name brand stuff I'd usually pick out or that I even recognized - but it was food. I really felt out of place being there, but everyone was so nice and took their time with me, letting us know we came to the right place. They made efforts to say hello and reach out and touch your hand or shoulder. (lots of sweet older ladies around) As I checked out, they handed my family a red rose.
I was so touched by their services - I feel compelled to help them once things get back on track. Maybe that was God's whole reason for this? There are so many families who are stuck by some tragedy, and what they do with it is what makes the difference. If someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, they join the 3-day walk. If someone dies in a car accident, their family fights goes out and talkes about dangers of drunk driving. If they lose their job and find themselves at the foodshelf, they urge others to donate. And what lesson my children are learning!
You can visit this website to read about what Catholic Charities is currently in need of:
http://www.ccstcloud.org/cc06/cc/cc_Help/Wishlist.html
It emphasizes the need for:
Fuel Cards / Bus Cards
Diapers, Formula, and baby food
New socks and underwear
Fresh produce
Personal care items
On a lighter note, we took Sabrina to her 9mth appointment (now almost 10 months old), and found out what we already knew - SHE's PERFECT! She's still very tall and thin, but in a healthy range. She got so excited, and they gave her a little frog book to keep. She just clapped and babbled away, and the kids got stickers for being so well behaved. Thank the Lord for that!
SO I am pooped and only 4 days to finish our homeschool yearbook. I think I'll refresh and take a nap first. Then it's back to hard core photo shop time! (Notice how I'm typing here instead of working... I am a procrastinator.)
Thanks again for all who read my blogs, prayed for us, or helped out in some way. I fell so blessed. You'd be amazed that one little hello or small gesture can mean SO MUCH! So, be sure to just smile at someone today, even if you don't know them. You don't have to stop and talk - just smile. I guarantee you'll make their day - or at least cover them for a few hours! haha
Lover of Christian People,
Melissa
We started our day early, heading to Catholic Charities Food Shelf. There were about 20 or more families waiting in line. So around an hour later it was our turn to be interviewed and go shopping. I grabbed a cart and each shelf station had amounts I could take based upon my family size. But only one visit allowed per calendar month. I came out with some canned food, and they had (near expiration) bread, lettuce, cheese, and yogurt. Pretty much everything there came from grocery stores, not individuals like our church group donations. Mondays must be better days to go. I was sad to see the smallest pile of baby food, and I could only take 5 small jars - enough to feed Sabrina for 1 day and no formula. Luckily what we saved today, I was able to buy it myself.
I was surprised to see some restaurants pitching in their leftovers: Red Lobster's baked potatoes, KFC's chicken and biscuits, and Sam's Club jumbo muffins. I ended up filling the grocery cart higher than I would on any other normal shopping trip. We even received one of the
"Kids Against Hunger" rice packs some of our homeschoolers have packed before. If we hadn't kept moving along, that would have been my break-down-and-cry moment. Not much of the food was name brand stuff I'd usually pick out or that I even recognized - but it was food. I really felt out of place being there, but everyone was so nice and took their time with me, letting us know we came to the right place. They made efforts to say hello and reach out and touch your hand or shoulder. (lots of sweet older ladies around) As I checked out, they handed my family a red rose.I was so touched by their services - I feel compelled to help them once things get back on track. Maybe that was God's whole reason for this? There are so many families who are stuck by some tragedy, and what they do with it is what makes the difference. If someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, they join the 3-day walk. If someone dies in a car accident, their family fights goes out and talkes about dangers of drunk driving. If they lose their job and find themselves at the foodshelf, they urge others to donate. And what lesson my children are learning!
You can visit this website to read about what Catholic Charities is currently in need of:
http://www.ccstcloud.org/cc06/cc/cc_Help/Wishlist.html
It emphasizes the need for:Fuel Cards / Bus Cards
Diapers, Formula, and baby food
New socks and underwear
Fresh produce
Personal care items
On a lighter note, we took Sabrina to her 9mth appointment (now almost 10 months old), and found out what we already knew - SHE's PERFECT! She's still very tall and thin, but in a healthy range. She got so excited, and they gave her a little frog book to keep. She just clapped and babbled away, and the kids got stickers for being so well behaved. Thank the Lord for that!
SO I am pooped and only 4 days to finish our homeschool yearbook. I think I'll refresh and take a nap first. Then it's back to hard core photo shop time! (Notice how I'm typing here instead of working... I am a procrastinator.)
Thanks again for all who read my blogs, prayed for us, or helped out in some way. I fell so blessed. You'd be amazed that one little hello or small gesture can mean SO MUCH! So, be sure to just smile at someone today, even if you don't know them. You don't have to stop and talk - just smile. I guarantee you'll make their day - or at least cover them for a few hours! haha
Lover of Christian People,
Melissa
