RESPOND
Service
BY SHERRI BARNETT
I
said we could give them an emergency box and that they could come back on Tuesday to get their regular pantry food box.
It was a young couple with three children in the backseat. They asked if the pantry was open. I told them we were closed but would be open again on Tuesday. They glanced at each other and softly said OK. I couldn’t take my eyes off the children in the backseat so I asked the parents if the family needed food.
The brown-eyed girl rolled down the backdoor window and asked if she could see my face. I stepped away from the vehicle and lowered my mask and smiled. She said, “I like you.” Then offered me a bite of her donut.
t was Friday. The Grateful Bread Food Pantry was closed that day, but a family resource officer from one of the schools called. There was an emergency: they had a family that was out of food. As we were loading their vehicle, another car pulled up and just sat there. I went to see if they needed something.
They looked at each other again and said that they would be OK, but when I glanced back to the children again, a little girl with big brown eyes was shaking her head yes to my question. I
14 The Mountain SPIRIT
While they waited for us to pack the emergency food, I gathered some snacks and donuts for the children. By the time we returned with the food, the children were already eating the donuts.
Think of that. A child who didn’t have enough food herself was offering to share what she had with someone else. That was such a beautiful blessing to me, and I am grateful every day that the pantry exists.
