Here to help each other

To the editor:

Have you ever been hungry? Have you ever encountered an unexpected event in your life? Well, Big Lake seems to have run dry. Not the lake itself, but the food pantry has sparse shelves that need a blessing of offering. At dividend time, people give to Big Lake’s free clothes closet, but to my surprise, when I took in some bags one day for the people in need of clothes to put in them, I gasped when I walked in. I have never seen so few clothes or volunteers.

Fires happen all year long, or other unexpected events that send us out into a world of search to fulfill those needs. Quite frankly, we need the Big Lake Community Clothing Closet and food pantry. We need, as a community, city, state, country or world, to help each other any way we can. When we encounter struggles in our lives, we don’t need the added burden of “no, we don’t have enough.” No matter how small the gift of food, clothing, time, money or anything else you can find in your heart to give, it’s never too small.

Christy Ward is a servant to God and man. She gives her all to run both the closet and food pantry. Can you imagine having to tell someone hungry, no? Or a family that’s been burned out, no?

One lady offered a whole house of furniture to a fire family, through the Big Lake Community Clothing Closet, but a four-wheel drive vehicle was needed to get to the house to pick up the furniture. No one, not even the volunteers owned a 4x4. So the family lost a whole house of help.

Don’t wait until spring cleaning or dividend to help. The need is now and the need is great, in every community all over the world. Pick a shirt, pick a can of food, but pick for God’s sake, and he will bless you for it. Need is not only a onetime thing, (once is expected) but need is every day. If everyone, when they did their own grocery shopping, just picked up an extra can of vegetables or a bag of cereal or a jar of peanut butter, and gave…hunger would then eat from your table because you shared a gift of life.

If grocery stores would leave the barrels they put out for such offerings at holidays year-round, then people would always have a convenient place to give because everyone goes to the grocery store (if able). It’s that simple. Giving would never stop and giving always gives back.

Also, needs like rent for Big Lake Community Clothing Closet, or others in need of electric, heat, etc., are also a year-round need. Stores, businesses, schools, churches etc., I suggest you put up a Help Box.

Our children are never too young to learn about the gift of giving and see when they give; abundance will flow into their schools. To consider the poor, brings hope, and that far exceeds the dollar. Never stop reaching with one heart to fill the life of another. May you be fed blessings as they will partake of the blessing of you.

For more information, contact Big Lake Community Clothing Closet about how to donate cash or clothing at 376-8042.

Debbie Haws

A labor-er of love

Big Lake