Hope Outreach
I caught glimpses into the lives of former prisoners through our time at Wayside Cross Ministries’ Hope Outreach. Hope Outreach operates a residential program for men, many of whom have been incarcerated and are trying to straighten out their lives. The residential program provides structure and spiritual guidance to help its residents reenter society. Because of wrong choices these men have made, many of their friends and families have basically severed ties with them.
We spent two days working alongside these men at the Johannaber Center warehouse. The warehouse processes donations of clothing, furniture, electronics, small appliances, house wares, books and toys to be sold at a thrift store, Hope Chest Resale Store.
One of the residents had a birthday during our time there. Someone in our group discovered his birthday and bought a card, which we signed and gave to him. The man went around the warehouse and thanked each member of our group. He said he hadn’t received a card in three or four years.
Sure, these men made decisions that landed them in their situations, but I saw a broken, human side of men who were trying to get back on their feet. They were looking for hope. I hope we provided some.
Feed My Starving Children
We also spent a day packing food for Feed My Starving Children, an organization that provides food for malnourished children in developing countries. After packing food, a coordinator from Feed My Starving Children gathered the volunteers who packed food to pray over the food. People congregated around the pallets, and the coordinator explained why they prayed and asked if someone wanted to pray.
On a typical day, three shifts of volunteers pack food. We volunteered for the first two shifts. During the first shift, none of us volunteered to pray over the food, so the coordinator offered a prayer himself. The second shift included schoolchildren from public schools, and the coordinator significantly toned down the Christian message. We nevertheless gathered around the food to pray after we finished the second shift. When the coordinator asked if someone wanted to pray, several hands shot up. A group of students with special needs served during the second shift. I stood next to a girl with Down’s syndrome. Her hand shot up. Unfortunately, the coordinator did not ask her to pray – he actually glanced at her and then looked to other hands. That irritated me. However, he selected another girl – she also had special needs – and she offered a simple prayer for the food.
We have a lot to learn from people with special needs. It wasn’t the first time this had crossed my mind.
Snapshots
And finally, a few lighter moments...
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