St. Andrew UMC outreach helps replace despair with new hope

BY REV. JANET COLLINSWORTH
St. Andrew UMC, Plano

Editors note: This is the first in a monthly series of articles from the NTC Health and Welfare Team.

Donna barely made it inside the door of the Seven Loaves Food Pantry at St. Andrew UMC, Plano, before she broke down in tears. “Could you please help,” she asked, “I’ve driven here from Rockwall because my grandbaby needs food.”

Immediately the volunteers hovered around Donna, much like the spirit of God hovered over the tumultuous waters of creation. One coddled the beautiful baby girl and another wrapped a comforting arm around Donna’s burdened shoulders. Within minutes the team of volunteers had Donna’s car packed with a week’s worth of food for each member of her family with special bags of formula and diapers for baby Claire. Donna’s tears were replaced with a smile and her despair replaced with renewed hope.

“Proclaim the Gospel of Christ to everyone; use words if you must.” As we embarked on a mission to provide food to those in need, the words of St. Francis of Assisi seemed to articulate the goal of Seven Loaves to help to those who struggled to keep food on the table.

What we did not expect was the debilitating despair which oppresses so many of our patrons. Not only are their cupboards bear, but their spirits are weary and worn thin. Each pantry day we quietly listen as patrons shares their pain. One said, “Never in my life did I dream I would be in this position.” Another, “Other people live in cars, I never thought I would.” And another, “Everyone in my house has lost their job; we just don’t even know where to begin.” And, “If it were just me, I could make it, but watching what it is doing to my kids is more than I can bare.”

We did not anticipate the act of courage it would take for many to just walk in the door and accept the gifts we offer. Witnessing the weight of despair on our guests as they entered and the physical lifting of the shoulders and spirits as they left, we came to realize three things:

1. God’s plan for our little pantry was to reach out and serve the holistic needs of those living with the oppression of poverty.
2. When we intentionally focus on the needs of the children, the whole family improves,
3. Being living examples of the Gospel of Christ restores the souls of both our patrons and our parishioners.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The words of my groaning do nothing to save me. My God, I call by day but you do not answer, at night, but I fi nd no respite.” (Psalm 22:1-2)

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2007 American Community Survey, the percentage of families with children under 18 years whose income in 2007 was below the poverty level was 5.7% in Collin county, 6.7% in Denton County and 19.8% in Dallas County.

An even more dismal picture appears when these statistics are focused on families with female householder, no husband present: 20.5% in Collin County, 31.5% in Denton County and 37.5% in Dallas County.
 
As we all are painfully aware, the economy has spiraled downward into crisis since the fall of 2008 which means these statistics fall woefully short of accurately depicting the true volumes of families and children in crisis, particularly those with women as head of household.

One measure can be seen in the number of children who go home from school each Friday and may not eat again until they return to school on Monday. Through the “Food 4 Kids” program of the North Texas Food Bank and volunteers of Seven Loaves, Plano Independent Schools began in Nov. 2008 to send home backpacks each Friday fi lled with healthy food which kids can fix for emselves over the weekend. The backpacks are replenished each Friday.

From Nov. 2008 through June 2009, this program provided over 12,000 meals to kids in-need. Several other school districts in Collin County served thousands of children through this and other programs in 2008-2009.

“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” (Heb. 13:1-2).

Equipped with the harrowing statistics of great need in our community and witnessing the physical and spiritual transformations occurring in and through its early months, Seven Loaves is prayerfully working to expand its vision to include the existing small food pantry inside the church and a future community center along the borders of Collin and Denton Counties.

The goal of the community center would be to provide holistic care to the many in need. The vision is to initially provide supplemental food, clothing and health care through a parish nurse and small clinic with the hope to grow to include education, substance abuse recovery programs and job placement assistance.

Seven Loaves Food Pantry distributes a week’s worth of healthy, supplemental food to families residing in Collin County each Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

For more information, go to: www.standrewumc.org/missions/food_pantry, or email:foodpantry@standrewumc.org.