What began as a vision of a small group of people, blossomed into a multichurch, multi-organizational effort to bring a community wide project to the Staples Motley communities for the Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) Event on Feb. 6 and 7. Although the vision began with hopes to feed 100,000 children requiring $17,000.00 and 500 volunteers, our communities’ response exceeded any vision we could have had by providing 650 volunteers who packaged 135,432 meals. And, just this week, FMSC informed us that the food packaged in Staples has been sent to Haiti and will feed 371 children for a year.

Observing the volunteers in action tells another, more personal story. To see what this looked like and what it felt like, in and of itself, was a blessing. To see people working together, in harmony, with huge smiles on their faces and with laughter in their voices and in their hearts indicated that, not only starving children in Haiti were benefiting from this effort, but each of these volunteers were being blessed as well. And, this story does not end here. We could never have anticipated the goodness and generosity of giving that now exceeds $30,000. We can only imagine how lives have been impacted through the act of caring for those we will never see and the realization of an agony that we may be fortunate to not ever experience.

It is easy to look at this as a job well done, but this is not a human accomplishment. To have been a part of something that has come together with such grace and consideration, cooperation and kindness, diligence and wisdom from each and every one of the committee members and volunteers is truly a divine blessing. To be a part of something that goes beyond human understanding, that embraces all generations from four to 96 years old, that joins denominations and varying interests, that brings people from many communities and hundreds of miles is truly a cause for celebration. The vibrant involvement of the area churches and the unending willingness of businesses and service organizations is a true testament to the spirit of integrity that is alive in this community as people look beyond themselves and reach out to help the helpless. This is a humble reminder that the praise and honor is not with us as groups or individuals, but rather with God. “Give and it will be given unto you… For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
Thankfully,
Ted Lelwica and
Rynell Schock