Bare Cupboard
FROM THE RECTOR
This week a devastating earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria, killing more than ten thousand people and displacing perhaps a million more. Like you, I hear nothing but bad news coming out of that region as rescue workers and government officials try to save anyone buried under the rubble and find a safe place to house those who have lost everything. Many of the people who have been affected by the disaster are refugees who had already left their homes behind because of the threat of extremist violence and civil unrest. I cannot imagine how those who have experienced such hardship find the will to carry on.
How will we respond to this tragedy? Thoughts and prayers can feel anemic at times like this, but I assure you that they have real power. If you are willing, set aside some time each day to allow those who are hurting to enter your mind, your heart, and your emotions. Even though you do not know any of their names or their specific needs, hold the multitude of individuals who are suffering up to God, trusting that God knows who they are and how to help them. Invite your own heart to break with the parents who have lost children, the spouses who will bury their true loves, and the neighbors who will never see each other again. Ask God to help you begin to appreciate what happens when a generation of people must stop everything—school, work, worship, and play—in order to rebuild everything. That kind of prayer is a conduit for God to act in the world, both by helping those in need and by shaping us into ministers of compassion.
Thoughts and prayers are only a beginning. If you would like to give financially to help those in need, I recommend donating to Episcopal Relief and Development, the organization that carries out our church’s response to suffering in the world. I have spent time with the leaders of this agency, and I have seen the work they do to rebuild communities after disasters and to help create sustainable models for human flourishing. You can give directly to help those in Turkey and Syria here.
As you consider this tragedy that has grabbed everyone’s attention, I invite you to consider also the needs around us that usually escape notice. If you take time to let the suffering of the people affected by the earthquake into your hearts, minds, and prayers, I predict that you will start to notice other people in need who are even closer to home.
Last week, when the office was closed because of winter weather, our Little Free Pantry and Friendly Fridge remained empty. That was no surprise because those resources for food are stocked almost exclusively by people who take time to bring groceries up to the church. When we cannot leave our homes, we cannot refill them, but food insecurity does not take a break when the streets are icy. In fact, when schools are closed and Community Meals cannot meet and other nutrition programs shut their doors, hunger goes unanswered.
I am surprised both by the number of people who stop by the Little Free Pantry and Friendly Fridge and by the people who come seeking food. I have not taken a count, but, given the frequency with which I encounter folks looking for food, I estimate that at least fifty people stop by every day. On days when Community Meals are served, that number is much higher. Think about that: every hour of the day, multiple households come to our church looking for food. The food insecurity across our community that that represents is staggering.
Often I cannot tell by looking whether someone has come to pick up food or drop it off. Food insecurity, it seems, does not conform to my prejudices. People pull up in well-maintained cars to see if there is anything available. Work-worn individuals in scrubs or fast food uniforms often stop by on the way home from work. People wearing school district nametags or City of Fayetteville uniforms come by in search of food. They may not come to Community Meals or Sunday Suppers, perhaps because they are working, but, despite their incomes, their need for nutritional assistance persists.
Early this week, I had a conversation with someone who stopped by on her way to the grocery store to see if we had anything that could supplement her family’s nutrition before she went shopping. I apologized and let her know that everything had already been taken. Refusing to accept my apology, she offered gratitude that our church would provide anything for her and her children. She admitted that, after the winter weather, she did not expect to find much but was always glad to stretch her money a little further because of whatever was available. After her, representatives from at least a dozen more households stopped by that day.
Every time you go to the grocery store, consider buying a jar of peanut butter or a can of ravioli to put in the Little Free Pantry. Whenever you pick up a gallon of milk or a dozen eggs, put something extra in your cart and place it in the Friendly Fridge. I guarantee that within an hour it will be gone—gone to someone who needs it, whose family depends on your generosity to get enough to eat. Proteins are best. Fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and dairy are most appreciated. Other canned foods like beans, vegetables, and fruit are also helpful. Hygiene items like toothbrushes and toothpaste, tampons and pads, are incredibly useful. Products that require additional ingredients like Hamburger Helper, which provides pasta and seasonings but no meat, are not ideal.
What makes this form of assistance so effective is its diffuse nature. Everyone is in charge of keeping the pantry and fridge fully stocked. They are available to those in need twenty-four hours a day. We cannot keep extra supplies at the church, so, if the pantry or fridge are full, consider leaving the items in your car for another time, or take them to another location in town. Even a few minutes later, some space is likely to open up, so come back after running an errand. There is never a time when the need goes away, so commit to this for the long term. Make caring for the needs of others a priority in your life—in your thoughts and prayers and in your actions.
Yours Faithfully,
Evan D. Garner