Spring 2021 Food Giveaway

God always provides was the reminder we kept seeing at the Annual Spring Food Giveaway on Friday, March 5th.

We usually purchase food from the SA Food Bank for the Food Giveaway. But due to the winter storms in SA, the SAFB was closed for the two weeks prior to the Giveaway and we kept having to push our order back. We hoped to receive it the week of the Giveaway, but with so many other agencies also out of food for their services, we weren't able to get in.

In December we had a little extra that we put into storage for March. Then an elementary school held a Food Drive for us in late January/early February. A student picked up the donated items and added to what we had in storage - as I write this I realize they delivered it the Friday before the winter storms hit SA. When I opened the storage unit on the day of the Food Giveaway tears came to my eyes as I saw the food heard for the first time that day "God provides".

We filled an SUV and a minivan with the food and took it to the school parking lot to begin setting up. After COVID shutdown our communities in 2020, PIC had ordered signs to place around the community as encouragement. While many had been placed, there were a few that still needed homes. Earlier in the month one of the board members asked if we had any left. As I placed the encouraging signs along the drive-thru path the families would drive to pick up their food packages, I heard for the second time "God provides".

The group of teen volunteers got out of school at 1:15 pm. and headed straight to the back parking lot of the school. We hadn't been able to secure donated lunch for the teens. First United Bank graciously stepped in and provided box lunches from Scholtzsky's for the teens to have for lunch before assembling the packages of food. After lunch the teen volunteers got to work sorting the canned items, determining how many of each would go into each package and then assembling the packages in socially distanced stations.

I continue to be so impressed with this group, not only do they want to give of their time to help others they are so proactive in doing so. They eat quickly so they can get to work. They know what needs to be done, offer guidance to those that are new and ask quesitons when needed. They lead the effort and do so enthusiatically, greeting families warmly, loading cars and cleaning up in between.

This Giveaway was unusual in that we didn't serve nearly as many families as we usually do. Over 60 had RSVP'd, but only 40 showed up. We wondered about the low turnout and what to do with the extra bags. We were able to give extra bags to some of the families attending the Giveaway. I texted a family that has been part of the Summer Reading program and they arrived to pick up packages. I took the remainder and dropped off to other families that have been part of the Summer Reading program. A text from the last family we delivered to: "Wow, thank you! So much great stuff. We'll make sure to share with folks down the road".

It may have looked a little different, but families that needed food received it. God always provides.