A Downtown Saturday Morning

On Saturday we had the opportunity to do our first door-to-door grocery give-away at the Baton Rouge Dream Center. Thanks to our partnership with Operation Blessing and Pastor Dino’s heart for the poor, we were able to bless dozens of families in the North Baton Rouge area. We started out with 40 boxes of groceries and 25 gallons of Bluebell ice cream. Once that was gone we loaded a pick-up truck with as much food as it would hold. Three hours later we had 2 empty pick-ups and some very grateful neighbors.

One of our main focuses right now is to build relationships with the individuals in the neighborhood. We do this by visiting their homes, giving them food and basically meeting them where they’re at. Sometimes that’s on their front porch, with us trying to act cool with their 100-lb Rottweiler, and sometimes it’s in their living room praying for the ‘evil spirits’ to leave them alone. Whatever the locale, God is always faithful.

While most of our people were on the street, a few volunteers came back to the warehouse to reload the truck. During our packing a woman drove up and asked for food. She told us that the men at the tire shop had said we were giving out groceries, and that she had hungry kids at home. She works as a security guard at the graveyard, down at the end of the street. She had to hurry back there, but was desperate to get food for her children. We were able to give her some cereal, canned goods, applesauce and 2 gallons of peanut butter and jelly ice cream. She thanked us, allowed us to pray with her and hurried back to the graveyard.

During our door-to-door outreach one of our teams met a young boy named Jason who was visiting his grandma’s house. It was his birthday and he was turning six. Jason had been born with arthritis and has difficulty walking. He wanted prayer so he would feel better. After praying for him and his family, the team returned to the Dream Center warehouse. They filled a box with toys, new shoes and a Nike jacket, the returned to grandma’s house. Everyone was surprised and Jason was a little overwhelmed. While grandma looked at all his new things he hid in the corner. Sometimes abundance is hard to receive.

Once our outreach teams were back at the Dream Center we headed to the apartment complex down the block, which is predominantly occupied by people with disabilities, the elderly and Katrina evacuees. We pulled into the parking lot and started bagging groceries. Before we had a chance to knock on doors, residents were pouring into the parking lot. In less than an hour we gave away an entire pick-up truck full of food. We weren’t able to feed all the residents, but we certainly made a difference to some.

A gentleman named Jarred was one of the people that got groceries. He had heard that we were giving away food, so he walked from The Alamo over to the apartment complex. Jarred is a Vietnam vet who was wounded overseas and can’t walk without crutches. He was very grateful for the groceries we had given him, but was unable to carry the box back home. We crammed ourselves into the cab, making room for Jarred, and headed to The Alamo. We told him that we’re sometimes at The Alamo on Friday nights doing outreach. He told us that he doesn’t leave his room after dark, but that we were welcome to knock on his door. We helped get the groceries into his room, prayed for him and said we’d see him the next time we were there. He was standing in his door, Bible in hand, when we pulled out of the lot.

“For 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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” … 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.’ (Matthew 25: 35-36, 40)

All glory to God.