Feeding the Homeless

A few months ago I found out about a group in Denver called Stand Up For Kids (it's nationwide, but I found the Denver chapter), where you sign up to provide, serve, and feed up to 100 homeless people in a downtown park where many homeless people live. I immediately reached out to my church family to see if people would be willing to help me provide food for that many people, because I knew I couldn't do it by myself. Immediately I got a ton of interest, so I signed up.

You have to sign up several months in advance because it is a very popular program (yay!), so tonight was our night.

We opted for Manwiches. The weather was pretty rotten, but in two years of doing this the organizer said they had never been weathered out, so we trusted all would go well- and it did. Instead of 100 people, only about40  people came- which meant we had plenty of food. But, it worked out because we had Ziploc bags so they could take food with them. All the food ended up being taken. I was glad that we brought hot chocolate- a last minute decision that proved a good choice.

All the homeless people were very respectful and kind. They were just regular people. That's what I want my girls to see- that sometimes people just hit a bad patch in life. Oh, and they have lots of dogs. Apparently it is almost a 1 to 1 ratio of dog to homeless person. Not quite that high, but pretty close. Which meant the dogs also needed to be fed. One dog even figured out how to open a water bottle and drink out of it!

I was very glad that my girls got to see this. But I also needed to see it. I'm so tired of the news, of the negativity, of the hate that continues to come from a certain leader who wants to divide us. Once again I remembered that the anecdote to hate, vitriol, divisiveness, and fear is pure and simple service. That's it. Service is therapeutic. It's good for the soul. I need to do more of it.

Which is good, because in talking to the organizer of this group I volunteered to provide 1,000 cookies and candy canes for when she makes her Christmas rounds to the homeless on Christmas Eve. Good thing I have lots of people who I know will step in and help!

The kids were excited that there was enough hot chocolate and food that they could have some.