I love to cover a shift at Helping Harvest, our low-cost grocery store for struggling families. I make sure the store is clean and organized, chase shopping carts, answer questions and help members check out.
My time at Helping Harvest also lets me connect with members who often share aspects of their lives and why they depend on our program. The experience is always a powerful reminder of why we do what we do, and it inspires me to keep working hard to assist vulnerable families in our community.
Just yesterday a member who I see routinely told me that when he retired he thought he and his wife were well-prepared to live comfortably. Not extravagantly, but comfortably. Then Covid hit, followed by extraordinary inflation, and now they are struggling to make ends meet. He told me he thanks God for Helping Harvest all the time. Another member came in and bought a cart full of food. As I checked her out and we chatted she told me her husband was a paraplegic, injured last year. She's caring for him and a child without much help. It's for these families and others like them that the Helping Harvest team shows up every day to get food on the shelves and care for some of our most vulnerable neighbors with compassion and dignity. We're passionate about our work. If you like what we do we could use your financial support. Fuel costs for our truck and van have skyrocketed. Our refrigeration and freezers create huge energy bills. Our food costs have increased too. Please consider a year-end donation to Helping Harvest so we can continue to take care of those who count on us.
Hope Full Life Center is a 501(c)3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash