Box after box of Macaroni and Cheese, countless crates of
Beef Stew, and enough cans of applesauce to cover most of the floor. The mind most likely makes the assumption
that I am at some sort of supermarket, perhaps Sam’s or Walmart, however, I am
actually volunteering at the Food Pantry.
On Tuesday, September 30, 2014, as part of Global Impact Week, I had the
opportunity to help the Greenville Food Pantry move to a new location. This involved moving heavy boxes, sorting Jell-O,
stacking canned goods, and much more.
When I arrived, I expected to find a group of students
already hard at work, however even though six other students had signed up to
help, the only other person from Greenville College to show up was Christy
Dashiell, the Director of World Outreach and Missions. As we restocked the shelves, I was reminded
of the Food Pantry in my hometown. Like
this one, most donations come from major food corporations, but only after
those running the Food Pantry have requested them. The only exception tends to be when the Boy
Scouts or some other organization holds a canned food drive to benefit the Food
Pantry. These do not happen anywhere
near frequently enough, however, to provide enough supplies to go to everyone
who is in need, so supplies often have to be carefully rationed or people have
to be turned away. Also, since most
people host “food drives,” many Food Pantries are lacking in other supplies
essential to every day life, such as soap, paper towels, and similar
items. All too often, even if we do take
the time to volunteer or donate items, we don’t look past the surface to find
out what is truly needed or take the time to really invest in the people we are
helping.
Why is this so often the case? Why are the plenty of volunteers for other
things, but not for helping those we quietly label “undesirable”? With all of the blessings we have been given,
we should be able to at least spare some our time, even if we don’t have the
money to be able to donate. If one takes
into consideration Matthew 25:40-45, we should be jumping at the opportunity to help these types of people.
40 “The King
will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever
you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for
me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for
the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you
gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger
and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was
sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They
also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see
you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison,
and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I
tell you, whatever you did not do for
one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” (New International
Version, emphasis added)
Why do we tend to ignore these types of people and their
problems as well as many of the organizations that give them assistance,
instead of helping them? How can you
reach out and make a difference in the lives of people like them?
---
Bible Passage taken from Biblegateway.com, New International
Version
