Sudden Provision

This past Thursday night was the first of three Oregon Food Bank (OFB) workshops that we are hosting at the pantry.  Our volunteers and staff work every week with a huge, diverse community and OFB is coming alongside of us to broaden our understanding of how to best serve, engage and understand many of the community members we work with each week.  

The first workshop was a success.

During the workshop, I was outside watching for late commers. The workshops started at 4:30 p.m., but around 5:00 p.m. a car pulled up with four children and a mom inside.  Kelly (the mother) came out with a little girl about eight years old.  She said, “Is the pantry open?” 

I replied, “No, on Thursdays we close at 1:00 p.m.”  

She stood there and just looked at me as the rest of the children were playing in the car.  

I ask, “Are you hungry, do you need food?” She replied, “We actually don’t have anything at home to eat. Yes, we’re very hungry.” I smile, thankful that we just happen to be here holding a workshop. “Well, let’s go see what we can find in the pantry,” I said. She began to thank me repeatedly as we walked over to the gym. After about 10 minutes, she walked out with 4 bags of groceries and chocolate chip cookies for her very excited 8-year-old.

Half an hour later I was outside again.  

This time it was because one of the workshop attendees was out there and noticed a woman walking back and forth in the parking lot.  The attendee was convinced the woman needed food.  When I went out the woman was walking toward the church once again.  She was wearing a neck brace pulling a wire cart behind her.  When she got to me, she asked, “Is the pantry open?”  

I said, “No, we close at 1:00 p.m. on Thursdays.”  

She looked at me the same way Kelly had. “Are you needing food?” I asked. She replied, “Yes, my husband is at home in a wheelchair and cannot work anymore.  We have no food.”  As we walked toward the pantry, she told me that she was from Russia and her name was Svetlana. She had fallen three flights of stairs and had been wearing the neck brace for six months.  She left a few minutes later with as much food as she could carry in her wire cart.

As I watched both families in the pantry, I was so grateful that we are here.  I am so thankful that people who are hungry can come and get food.  It never gets old; they would have gone on being hungry.  Even as I’m writing this, I picture the brown eyes of that eight year old which became big as saucers when she picked up the box of Oreos.  

We could not continue to be there for families like the ones mentioned if it were not for your ongoing support for our pantry.  From the disabled, to immigrants and single moms, the support that your contributions provide gives the gift of exchanging anxiety for peace, quieting hunger, and delivering hope to hopelessness.  
 
Thank you from all of us who have the privilege of dispensing the food your contributions help give to those who come to us in need.  Please consider becoming a monthly donor to our pantry.  Click the link below where you can sign up to contribute. 


Warmest Regards,

Betty Brown
Executive Director
POBC Pantry