My grandfather on my dad’s side was the elected sheriff of Iron County, Missouri in 1940. He and my grandmother during their lives also owned a liquor store and a restaurant and newsstand. For folks younger than 40, newsstands were where the adults used to go for information downloads and live social media feeds. It also involved some coffee and lots of conversation.
As a youngster in the 1960s my grandpa was larger than life, and when he spoke, E.F. Hutton would even listen. He listened much more than he spoke, but one of his sage advice tips was how serving other people makes you feel good; it feeds the soul and gives you a small glimpse as to what heaven will feel like. I’m not sure when that advice sank in – probably in my 30s – but this column is dedicated to my Gramps, Andrew Hall Senior, entrepreneur, sheriff, jailer, and wise man. Hat tip to you, Pops.
Lisa recently received a note from one of our more than 100 volunteers (yeah, I shake my head in amazement just writing that). She talks about her personal history, her role in the Feeding Team and how being a part of our mission not only feeds hungry neighbors, but it also feeds her soul. Her purpose is obvious.
Full disclosure: she gave us permission to use her words and it is our practice to maintain confidentiality, so her name has been changed to respect her privacy.
This is from our Volunteer Maggie:
I truly love volunteering for your organization. Between 18 to 24, I was a single mom. I worked full time, lived on my own, and got my associate’s degree. I made too much money according to social services to get any kind of assistance ($7.75 an hour). I was literally the working poor class.
I was too ashamed to go to a food pantry. I remember feeding my kids scrambled eggs many nights or Banquet frozen dinners. I even had to choose between getting my gas shut off or putting gas in my car for work and a babysitter. I lived off payroll cash advance places.
I wouldn’t even reach out to my parents to let them know how bad it was. Sometimes they would figure it out and during buy-one-get-one-free sales buy stuff they would never use originally and act like that’s why they had it, so I would accept it. I felt ashamed and didn’t want to let my parents down – even though they never made me feel ashamed, if that makes sense!
I wish there had been an organization like yours around when I needed it … the drive-thru line that you are not judging people as they come in, the secure pantry locations. It is all amazing. Coming from someone who had a rough start in life who knows what food insecurity was, as an adult now I find myself overbuying groceries because I can, even though I don’t need it. I relate it to that when I question myself ‘why’. I always try to feed people now.
If you find it annoying, I may overly thank you for what you do, or tell you how awesome it is, I apologize. However, you are truly a blessing from God to all of these people. I hope you know the impact you have. You and your husband should be very proud of what you have created. It is amazing. I hope you have a wonderful day, and God is great!
Thank you, Maggie, you are truly a demonstration of courage and perseverance. Maggie worked at a recent volunteer event and shared more of her story working through some emotions and tears. I can’t say it any better than she did, or the way my grandpa did. You want to feed your soul, you want to feel better about yourself and your life, go serve someone selflessly. Go serve someone who will never know you and can’t do anything for you. It’s incredible. So says Maggie, Andy, Lisa, me, and about a hundred other people.
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If you want to help, please send an email to lisa@feedingteam.org, call our office, or message us on Facebook to get details and signup. We share our experiences to share moments of helping with you, our supporters. Without you, this doesn’t happen.
Imagine the moment for a second, the joy of helping a neighbor who can’t make ends meet. Many of us have been there. Many are still there. Many will be there in the future. That is why we exist. It’s not often that we have encounters with shoppers. It happens more than you’d think, more than we’d like, and while we know that hunger and poverty will never go away, we can make a dent in it. Together we can help feed hungry neighbors here in our communities.
With over 44,000 food-challenged neighbors in Hamilton County, FeedingTeam.org is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides outdoor 24/7/365 no-questions-asked free food pantries throughout the county.
The pantries exist to meet the food insecurity needs of gap families, neighbors who may not qualify for public assistance and could use a few meals before payday. The pantries serve as many food-challenged neighbors as possible, and our hearts are with those who, like my family, could not always make ends meet.
Thank you for supporting the pantries. We love serving with so many neighbors across Hamilton County. In future columns, we will share more stories about how your generosity served neighbors in times of need. The face of hunger in Hamilton County is not what you may think.
In practical terms, this straightforward way to help neighbors is having real impact on lives, families, and our communities. Thank you. A few meals can change the course of a person’s life. A can of green beans means so much more when you have nothing to feed your kids.
Would you like to get involved? Volunteer opportunities are available. We are evaluating new pantry locations. If you think you have a potential location, please contact us.
Mark and Lisa Hall are the Founders of Feeding Team. They may be reached at lisa@feedingteam.org and mark@feedingteam.org or by calling (317) 832-1123.