Sharing God's Blessings with The Hungry Poor
October 22, 2009
Little Jayden was hungry. That’s why he ran up to us as soon as our Edmundite Missions truck filled with Thanksgiving food bags pulled into his small community. Despite a cast on his broken arm, Jayden, one of our Missions’ preschoolers, immediately starting toting big jugs of orange juice to different families waiting in line.
Worried that he might hurt his small arm even more, I asked him to please rest. “I wanna help. My mama and me are hungry and I bet they is too,” said Jayden, circling his good arm toward the line of hungry folks.
Children with growling stomachs are a great motivation for me. There were hundreds of pounds of canned vegetables and fruit, as well as frozen turkeys to distribute, but it didn’t take long. The Sisters and community volunteers joined in as we handed out nutritious food bags and turkeys to over 65 families—every family and elder living in this isolated backwoods community.
Vredenburgh is so far off the beaten path that it’s “passed over and neglected by everyone,” says resident Jessica Knight. That is why Jayden and the other children, parents and elders were happy to see us arrive.
“It’s just a blessing, a heaven-sent blessing,” said one elder, who cares for her 98 year-old mother and her great grandchildren. “Now my family can eat a good meal on Thanksgiving Day.”
Sadly, many adults I talked with that day had recently lost their jobs. All were grateful for help feeding hungry children and elders, some thanking us with tears in their eyes. One out of every four people is unemployed in the Black Belt. That’s why I need your help to feed the hungry in Vredenburgh on Thanksgiving Day.
Because of the relentless struggles the poor face in this bad economy, I’m determined to observe this day of giving thanks by filling more food bags than ever. I do not want any child or senior to go hungry, “passed over and neglected” by others.
Besides the 1,000 bags of food we’ll distribute in Vredenburgh, Pine Apple and Mosses, I know the suffering poor in Selma will also be thankful, as they crowd into our Bosco Food Kitchen for a home cooked turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. I’m expecting 300 or more children, elders and adults sitting at Bosco breaking bread with one another. Our staff and faithful volunteers, who roast turkeys four at a time for two long days, will fill plates with a traditional dinner with dressing and sweet potatoes.
The economic downturn has hit sincere and caring people like you in communities across the nation. You have been a great friend of the hungry poor, and I am grateful. Will you join me again in sharing God’s blessings with those too often neglected? It costs $43 to fill a Thanksgiving food bag with turkey, vegetables, fruit, rice, canned stew and cornmeal for the hungry poor. A gift of $215 will fill five food bags for the hungry.
Lord, we thank you for the food that strengthens us and empowers us to share your gifts with others as did you Son Jesus, who loves us now and forever. Amen.
Every day, I thank God for your kindness for the least of these living in communities too often “overlooked and forgotten.” My prayer is that you will be strengthened in His love and mercy to respond to His command: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. Matt 25:35
Serving the Savior,
Rev. Richard Myhalyk, S.S.E.
