Adventure #16 - Serve those in need in the community at least once a quarter. January 27, 2011

It is easy to become wrapped up in our own lives and to miss out on serving those in need in our communities.  Sometimes it is easier to give money rather than time to help those in need.  However, spending time in service opens the eyes to those needs in our community and to respond to meet these basic needs thus granting the privilege of also providing for the spiritual need for Jesus.

I first heard about the Midwest Food Bank from a dietitan who serves on the Peoria board.  Marjorie was the dietitian that I worked for at the Cooperative Extension Service the summer between my graduation from Bradley in May of 1993 and the start of my internship at Barnes in St Louis in August of 1993.  When I returned to Peoria in 2004, Marjorie and I were now a part of the Central Illinois Dietetic Association together.  During 2010, I first heard about Tender Mercies program at the Midwest Food Bank.  Volunteers allow the Midwest Food Bank to use their resouces to meet the needs of those in the community with very little overhead cost. 

I received an e-mail that the Career Impact Thursday night Bible study planned to go and serve by making Tender Mercies packets.  So even though I did not attend this Bible Study, I e-mailed to see if there was still room for me to join them.  This was a special privilege to join with my brothers and sister to serve while meeting the needs of those who would one day receive this food packet. 

Tender Mercies is a mixture of TVP, beans, rice and a high nutrient flavoring that is able to feed a family of four.  All that is needed is water and a heat source to prepare this meal. 

So our team spent time putting together these packets.  What was impressive to me was that most of the volunteers were men.  It was great fun watching them enjoy one another's company as they filled the bags, tried to increase efficiency (can we say engineers), laughed and modeled new and fashionable hairnets!  I was blest just to be with them and watch them at work.  During the shift, our team put together 800 packets of food which would feed 3200 people.

On February 14, 2011 for Valentine's Day, the dietitians hosted a bake sale at Methodist to benefit Midwest Food Bank and the Tender Mercies program.  We raised $615 for Tender Mercies.