Making a REAL Difference

Asking shoppers if they would consider buying food for strangers  is not an easy task. But Saturday, was ‘Make a Difference Day.”  The Sisters of Faith group decided to help our MEND Community Cupboard Food Bank fill their shelves. This group from  various faith backgrounds, meets once a month at the local Leavenworth Methodist church, and works to make a meaningful, positive impact on their community.  Eager volunteers set up a table at the local Safeway on Saturday and requested shoppers consider buying just one or two cans of food for others. They were met with mostly positive responses, some shoppers bringing to the collection table MORE that they bought for themselves.  Several families gave their contributions to their children,  explaining that they were putting cans in the collection boxes for other children who didn’t have enough to eat. The children understood this idea. One little girl even insisted her mom contribute a cake mix so these children would have some dessert! Some shoppers who had intended to buy for the Community Cupboard but forgot, shared cash instead with which the volunteers  immediately went shopping and turned into additional food.  It was so inspiring to note the generous nature of people, even  when prices are high, and they might be struggling themselves. Given the opportunity to reach out to others in even a small way, people truly do care to help one another. One shopper shared with a volunteer, “I shop at the Community Cupboard because I have so little to spend each month. I am really impressed with the  generosity of these people.”  In all, the contributions added up to more than 1000 pounds of canned goods collected for the food bank.  Certainly, our generous community has ‘made a   difference’ for others.

 Judy Rector, Leavenworth