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I recently read this article and was so moved by the notion of giving our very best to those in need. The woman telling the story recalls her challenging childhood with a mother who often drank too much, experiencing an extreme lack of food, and a nearby couple who, when humbly asked for a bite to eat, gave this girl and her mother so much more.
She recalls her mother asking their neighbors for her to eat, and receiving their entire table-full of dinner and notes that this couple could have given them anything to eat and they would have been grateful, however, it was the gift of the very best that made a lasting impact. She writes, “The biggest problem with poverty is the shame that comes with it. When you give the best you have to someone in need, it translates into something much deeper to the receiver. It means they are worthy. If it’s not good enough for you, it’s not good enough for those in need either. Giving the best you have does more than feed an empty belly—it feeds the soul.”
Giving the very best food to those in need is what we aim to do daily. Every Monday, Waste Not driver, Tim, delivers a truck-load of food to Abel’s House, a sober living program near Downtown Phoenix. When the truck arrives, every Abel’s House resident available helps to unload the truck and it’s empty within a matter of minutes. In a recent interview with Jennifer Auh of Fox 10 (@JennAuhFOX10) Monica, Executive Director, shared that she is “beyond grateful”. “I don’t know how we’d feed everyone without the Waste Not program. It’s a true blessing for Abel’s House. Every donation that we get from them we are very, very thankful for— and it gets used very quickly”, said Monica.
The food Waste Not delivered to the residents of Abel’s House that day included fresh breads, pasta, juicy melons, fresh greens, and more— this, and every single other food delivery includes our very best, because everyone is worthy.