Meeting Basic Needs

Many of you know we had an event tonight.  We’re incredibly blessed to have the support of the congregation of St Paul AME.  For over a year, we’ve held Forever Fed block parties on their campus.  During that time, we’ve seen the relationship between St Paul AME, the Crisler Road community and ForeverFed blossom. Tonight one of our friends, who must deal with life challenges that I simply cannot comprehend, had a need.  Her need was a simply necessity that 99.999999% of America sees as a “trivial” issue of life: she needed toilet paper.  For those of you who don’t know, food stamps don’t allow for the purchase of basic hygiene needs like toilet paper. 

I can only imagine how humiliating it must be, to have to ask someone for toilet paper.  We all deserve to have a certain amount of dignity in our personal lives.  Not having to ask someone for toilet paper meets the “dignity” threshold for me.

Earlier in the day, Susan and I put together a preliminary order for the “large food distribution” (Atlanta Food Bank’s terminology), that will happen, next weekend.  If you are unaware of this event, then you haven’t talked to Susan or I in the past month or so, because it’s become a major obsession, since we’re looking to distribute at least 35,000 pounds of food (yes, you read that correctly 17.5 tons of food), to 500 families.  

As you know, ForeverFed strives to provide balanced meals to families in need.  That same goal applies to this food distribution.  Once we completed the selection of food items, ensuring that we had a balance of lean meat, vegetables and high quality starches, we found that we were looking to order 37,000 lb of food that equate to almost 54,000 meals.

To say that we were feeling a little overwhelmed by the opportunity that God had put before us would be a gross understatement.  In light of that monumental grocery distribution task, buying toilet paper for one lady in need was a “no brainer”. 

After packing up all of our supplies, at the end of tonight’s event, we headed to the Canton Dollar General .  Susan went in to buy toilet paper.  On the way our, she saw the store manager, who was talking to a young couple, outside the front door. Given the community that this Dollar General serves, Susan decided to ask the store manager if she would be willing to hand out a few fliers for the “large food distribution”.  The young man asked “when is this, because we have nothing to eat?”

As it turns out, not only did this young couple need something to eat, but the young lady is 3 months pregnant.  In addition, their friends, who were sitting in the car, had nothing to eat and the young woman was also pregnant. 

We had food left over from tonight’s event.  We had a 3” deep pan of chicken and rice (like a chicken cacciatore), a large salad (greens and high quality veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cucumber and tomatoes), fruit salad (peaches and pineapple) and chocolate pudding, for dessert.  It was enough food to feed the four young people until the food distribution. 

Just having enough food to provide a meal is a blessing in and of itself.  God taking a humbling need (toilet paper) to put us in a situation to meet the needs of these young people is over whelming.  The sheer joy and gratitude that these young people showed us breaks my heart. 

These kids are 2-3 years older than our sons.  While Susan ran back into Dollar General to buy containers for the fruit salad, I couldn’t help but see, not only my kids, but my nieces and nephews, in these kids and wonder who would help them, if they didn’t feel that they could come to their parents for help.  The kids, in my life, come from stable homes, where mom and dad could help them, when they need it.  For one reason or another, these kids couldn’t go to their ‘biological’ parents for help.  Instead, they were helped by our Father above. 

There’s no other rational explanation for what happened tonight.

I want to personally thank every person who has ever helped ForeverFed.  Whether it was through your prayers, your gifts or even 5 seconds of your service, you had a hand in Bob and Susan going to Dollar General, in Canton, GA and providing desperately needed food to not one, but two very appreciative young families.

The Great Grocery Give Away!

Forever Fed is partnering with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Cherokee High School to distribute 40,000+ pounds of non-perishable groceries to the public on May 25th and we need you!

This means we'll be distributing Groceries to

500+ families in need in your community!

Where? Cherokee High School, Canton GA

When? We'll unload the groceries from a semi-tractor trailer on Friday, May 24th, place them inside the cafeteria of CHS and Distribute the groceries in the parking lot of CHS on Saturday, May 25th.

How? Families in need of groceries will drive through a receiving line, fill out paperwork (while remaining in their vehicles) and proceed through the grocery distribution area where groceries will be placed into their vehicles. It's literally a "Drive-Through Grocery Distribution".

How Can You Help? Listed below are the opportunities to serve. Check them out, pick your favorite role, and then scroll down and sign up. It's that easy!

Can I Sign Up My Group? We ask you only sign up your immediate family members and be sure to include your valid email address and phone number. Be sure the contact info you provide is correct!!! If we can't contact you, you may lose your spot! Your contact info. cannot be viewed by the public and will not be shared without your permission. 

**If you have a large group who would like to serve please email info@foreverfed.org and we'll be happy to get you plugged in. 

Can My Children Help? Some of the tasks/serving opportunities are kid friendly and others are not. Safety for both guests and volunteers is our goal-we will be carrying and lifting heavy groceries and there will be hundreds of moving vehicles. If you'd like your kids to help, please read through the descriptions for the age appropriate opportunities. 

Friday, May 24th Grocery Un-loaders and Transporters-This team will be removing cases of canned goods from pallets and transporting them via hand trucks to the CHS cafeteria for overnight storage. Individuals should be able to lift a case (24 cans) of sodas independently and safely. Due to the nature of this task, please no volunteers under the age of 12. Ice water and snacks will be provided.

Saturday, May 25th Volunteers in two shifts-from 8 AM-noon and Noon-5 PM **Lunch will be provided for those who wish volunteer for the entire day.

Traffic Directing Team-This team will direct volunteers to appropriate parking and direct car loads of grocery recipients safely through CHS parking lot. Traffic Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. 

Greeters-This team will welcome our guests onto the campus, inform them about the grocery receiving process, hand them clip boards with forms for recipients to fill out, collect those forms, and refill the clip boards. Greeters must be at least 16 years old and will be walking amongst many vehicles. Greeters may also need to assist some individuals with filling out the forms. We need both English Speaking Greeters and Bilingual Greeters.

Grocery Sorters/Baggers-This team will work inside the cafeteria placing specific items into colored coded grocery bags. This is a family friendly service opportunity but please only one child per supervising adult and no children under the age of 10. Please wear closed toed shoes (tennis shoes) to protect your feet from falling and dropped cans!

Grocery Transporters/Distributers-This team will work outside transporting bags of canned goods from the cafeteria to the distribution area and also place groceries into the vehicles of the recipients. Due to the nature of this task and many vehicles in motion, please no volunteers under the age 14.

Hospitality Team-This team will provide drinks and snacks to help keep our volunteer force on their feet! We'll have a few tables of snacks, a shady place to sit, some cold drinks, and we'll also provide lunch for the volunteers that work both shifts. This is a great family friendly Volunteer Team, all ages welcome!

Promotional Team-This team will assist with getting the word out to the community, help with signage and promotion of this event, and help distribute flyers to appropriate organizations. We hope to find someone to help us produce Volunteer t-shirts as well! This team will also help video/photograph this event on both May 24th and 25th.

Administrative Team-This team will help produce needed paperwork, organize completed forms during and after this event, assist with creating spreadsheets with information gathered, and assist with volunteer sign in process on May 25th. 

Prayer Team-After our guests have received their groceries they will be given the option of driving to a designated prayer area for a "Drive Through Prayer". The prayer team will take prayer requests and pray with these individuals while they remain in thier car. This prayer team will also offer encouragement and send guests on their way with words of wisdom and hope. This is why we do, what we do. 

Please note-Forever Fed serves all individuals regardless of race, sex, disability, or religion. All individuals in need of food will be served unconditionally and in love. 

Sign Up to Serve at the Great Grocery Give Away by clicking on this link!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E094AAEAF2EA75-thegreat

Our Attitude in Prayer

     Years ago I flew overseas on a mission trip and the guy on the end of my row was really upset when the movie system showing movies on the seat in front of him went out. We had 4 hours left in our flight and had already spent many hours on a plane and everyone was tired. I began to get aggravated as well (OK...that's a gross understatement LOL) and then I thought, "Susan, you're flying across the ocean, tens of thousands of feet in the air and it's taking HOURS and not DAYS or weeks to get to Kenya, Africa. Be amazed by the miracle you are experiencing and not exasperated by bumps in the road in your journey, focus on the mission." and then I said a prayer of thanks for the journey. 

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in thier mission can alter the course of history. Mahatma Gandhi

     Forever Fed interfaces with many children in dire need and the Executive Director (me) is losing sleep. As we regularly interface with these kids we are discovering real needs they experience each day, one of which is food. Some arrive to programs we support having either not eaten OR they are returning home from our events to empty pantries. Our volunteers and leadership tell me they’ve seen some children stuff food in their pockets to take home because their siblings did not get a dinner. The brutal reality is--for some school children, the only meals they receive are the subsidized meals they receive at school. And worse than that, some of the hardest hit families suffering from food instability are actually members of the “working class poor” and their kids don’t qualify for subsidized school meals because they are not poor enough. While Forever Fed sends our plentiful left-overs home with the kids after events, our efforts are just a small drop in their huge bucket of need. The Executive Director in me thinks it’s time to be intentional about meeting this need but the realist in me is a bit anxious.

     Last Friday I had a meeting with a great group of folks who are praying about partnering with us to launch a food backpack program for some of the children we serve at Forever Fed events. A few states like Arkansas have successful programs in schools sending backpacks filled with food home on weekends with their neediest students to supplement their food supply at home. The kids return the backpack to school on Monday and it’s filled again for distribution on the following Friday. How easy is that?

     Forever Fed would love to start a backpack food program, on a small scale, to support the neediest children we serve who are attending programs we already support. Following our meeting on Friday this team of leaders promised to pray for discernment of God’s will. As I’m praying for discernment and throwing my anxious worries and concerns onto the shoulders of Jesus and listing the many reasons this backpack program could become a monumental job, my prayers came to a screeching halt.

     Why am I not praying with excitement? I’m talking and making a request of My Creator, the God from Everlasting to Everlasting. I am praying a request of the God who created the Earth, the God that put a man on the moon, the God who sent His son to die on a cross so that we might live. Surely a few backpacks filled with food is a simple task for the Almighty God. I’ve started praying with excitement that His will be done.

     Anxiety and fear knocked at the door and faith answered. Forever Fed is excited about the journey we began 2.5 years ago and we look forward to watching God’s plan unfold during this time of prayer and discernment for a backpack program. Each week Forever Fed is on the road bringing food to those in need and empowering volunteers to be the hands and feet of Christ is an awesome thing to behold, it is a miracle. The largest miracle we’ve seen is witnessing how the efforts of many are bearing fruit in the neighborhoods we are fostering. This is an exciting time. Please join with us in praying for discernment in an attitude of joy and thanksgiving. Let’s change the world together, through prayer.

^“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Romans 12:11-13

God's Angel Armies!

Last week I had an opportunity to visit home one of our elderly guests that frequents a Forever Fed event.  I’ll call her Ms. X. In all honesty, I didn’t make this visit out of some great and generous mission.  I went with a purpose that was entirely self-centered. I needed a question answered.

When I arrived at Ms. X’s home she greeted me warmly as I got out of my car.As we embraced I was already thinking of the next task I had to do after I left her house because I had a busy day ahead. Ms. X invited me into her humble home and of course I couldn’t say “no” so I resigned myself to sitting with her for a short visit. She offered me coffee and heartfelt hospitality and in return, I responded by finally giving her what she deserved, my undivided attention.

Ms. X lives in an old, old clapboard home that has less than 500 square feet of space. It has a small living space, a bedroom, and a tiny eat-in kitchen. She offered me coffee and as we sat on her ancient couch together, she was gracious enough to answer some of my questions and share some of the details of her life with me.  

Ms. X is in her late 70’s. She lives on Social Security income and resides in a house that’s older than she is and she’s lived in her tiny home for over 35 years. Amongst the empty oxygen tanks surrounding us were pictures of her family and a very few sentimental objects she’s collected during her lifetime. Her family pictures on the wall were not framed in pretty frames they were held in place with a single thumb tack.

As Ms. X began to tell me of her life every other sentence she spoke contained the word “Blessed”. This gentle woman lost a son when he was 14 years old and she lost her husband after 35 years of marriage. She’s had had countless trials and tribulations in her 70+ years of life AND she lives in a tiny house on a next to nothing income. Amazingly, all Ms. X can talk about are her many blessings. Ms. X lives a life of thankfulness and she speaks it out loud for all to hear.  

I asked Ms. X if she’s afraid to live by herself and she said “Absolutely not!” Ms. X explained to me that God is watching over her every minute of the day and He’s sent an army of angels to surround her home and keep her safe. I was almost afraid of her answer as I asked, “Do you see the angels God sent to protect you?” She told me, “Of course not silly, but I know they are there because I’ve prayed for them and I know God has made a hedge of protection around my home because He loves me.”

As I left and got into my car the chorus of Chris Tomlin’s new single, “The God of Angel Armies is always by my side” blasted from the radio and I just looked up and laughed. Sometimes God speaks to me boldly to get my attention. Ms. X confirmed what I already knew.  

True faith is knowing that when I pray for something God is working on it, even if I can’t see it.

September Celebrations!

Each and every time we venture out into the community to serve a meal we are celebrating God's abundant blessings with our neighbors! 

We would LOVE for you to come and celebrate with us in September. Here is a brief synopsis of our schedule. If' you'd like to join in on the fun click on our "Volunteer Tab" and be the Hands and Feet of Christ!

Sunday, September 2nd Breakfast at Northwoods in Canton

Tuesday, September 4th Birthday meal for Kid's Bible Club 

Tuesday, September 4th Serving meal to Turn Around Kids Ministries

Friday, September 7th First Friday Block Party, Woodstock 

Saturday, September 8th Second Saturday Block Party, Canton

Tues., September 11th Serving Meal to Turn Around Kids Ministries

Saturday, September 15th Third Saturday Block Party, Canton

Sunday, September 16th Breakfast at Nortwoods in Canton

Monday, September 17th Lunches for 3 neighborhoods, Canton

Wed., September 19th Lunches for 3 neighborhoods, Canton

Friday, September 21st Lunches for 3 neighborhoods, Canton

Tuesday, September 25th Serving Meal to Turn Around Kids Ministries