sweet nothings

Un-Grocery Shopping for Christ

Today I went to serve at a local ministry that is taking in donations of food and misc. items for Katrina victims, organizing them, and packing them for the Red Cross and various local organizations to pass out. Last week I think they helped 3500 families, and today I think it was about 70 (dwindling, which is good, means ppl are getting help).
I didn't know what to expect - but what I found looked nothing like this picture >>>>>>>>>>
It was a warehouse, sorted into areas for example, the baby area (mountains of diapers), the soup area, veggie area, PB & J area, Cereal area, etc.
There were no shelves, we had a couple tables, but mostly it was massive piles on the ground in crates and just stacked cans (not stacked neatly) but mostly thrown on the piles.
It worked well enough I guess, I mean, why spend time organizing when you're throwing it in boxes and getting it right out of your hands again? Also donations were coming in crazy fast.
The reason I call it un-grocery shopping is that the groceries would be unloaded, then we would take grocery carts, fill them up, then 'shop' the aisles, going around and putting the things in the right categories until our carts were empty.
Then when we were ready to fill boxes it was like regular shopping cuz you'd go 'shop' for what you needed for the boxes.
It was great to see everyone bringing so much stuff, it practically had as much as a normal grocery store (well a small one).
It was interesting to see what people thought was a fitting non-perishable food for a dislocated and possibly homeless family, though. Inappropriately so, I mean.
Some of the more interesting donations:
Microwave popcorn (sounds innocent enough but are they going to have a microwave?)
Along that same vein - Bread Machine Mix *haha*
One, individual packet of instant oatmeal. (sure makes you feel valued to get one loose packet)
Diet shake mixes (just add yogurt, strawberries and blend in your blender!)
Half-used packages of cookie mix (like the kind from Sam's club where there's five pouches in the box - but they'd used 3 of the pouches and given us the leftover)
Canned veggies from - oh, probably the early nineties. or maybe eighties (don't worry we tossed 'em).
Baggies of m&ms - yes, opened m&m bags, poured into baggies.
Other expired items, like dried apples, pancake mix and canned beans
Ground Coffee (not instant)
Tiny cans of sardines

Anyway it was just interesting to see. We also had great items, everything we needed (but ran out of jelly) - But it just made me think of food differently - things you can't make or eat b/c you don't have certain appliances (microwave, blender) - how one thing isn't' good without another thing (pasta w/ out pasta sauce) - how many things you would need if you had NOTHING. There were donations of feminine products - now that's wonderful! Who thought of that? You would totally need that. Salt and pepper. Can't have coffee unless its instant. Then you need cream and sugar.
Can't season your stuff b/c you dont' have spices...
It just makes me think of how much I do have - how I like giving back, how I"m so glad they have food, but at the same time, how I wish you could really stock them up, stock their kitchen... It's not practical, really, I know.
I'm going back later this week to help again, do what I can.
But I'm going to be happier to walk in my kitchen (I have a nice kitchen at least) and besides that, see a coffee maker, a microwave, a pantry w/ food, a fridge w/ milk and meat and a freezer with frozen waffles and ice cream.
It seems superflous - I mean, I could get by on rice and beans you know.
But honestly, I'm probably not gonna strip down to that.
Although, I'm going to bring a heck of a lot more Jelly the next time. Today I brought some (plastic) jars. I'm going to have to go to BJ's and get a bunch. We can't have them eating peanut butter sandwiches w/out their jelly!! That's just not right.
Also, it made me think how we should be giving God our best.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

When I think of what I would bring as something fitting a person who needs food, I hope I would - to the best of my financial ability - buy them things that I would want if it were me. Granted, not the superfluous stuff, but even if I'm buying peanut butter - I'm not going to buy a brand I think is yucky. I'm not going to clean out my pantry and give them all the almost expired or expired stuff that we didn't even want to eat.
I think it should be thought of as 'what if Christ were displaced by a hurricane, and needed to feed his family, and had nothing?' What would I buy for him? Would I give him one packet of instant oatmeal? No, I'd get him a big box of Frosted MiniWheats, and Bisquik, and that good spaghetti sauce (in plastic of course) and Oreos, and Albacore Tuna and canned Tropical Fruit! With the categories you've got to work with, get something you would want if you were them.
Anyway, inspite of the few amusing and inappropriate things, most people did just that - gave the good stuff, from their heart I'm sure. It's wonderful to see.

"Whatever you do for the least of these you do as unto me."

posted by larissa @ 10:32 PM