Day 44: The Care of Others

Today’s moment of thankfulness was shared by Minerva Padron, Deputy Director at Metro CareRing. A portion of her story can be viewed here, while the main text is found below:

I am grateful that today our paths have crossed. You may not have known this, but you have had a tremendous impact on my life’s journey and I thank you. You see, as a child, I experienced hunger like many in our community are experiencing today and even at this very moment. At times, I would open the fridge and see scarcity. But I never lost hope because my mom worked hard to provide for us and when there was nothing more she could do, she humbled herself to ask for help and received food services from a local food pantry like Metro CareRing.

This experience I share with you I count as one of the most important in my life and I believe it is what has called me to service at Metro CareRing: I unpacked this box of food with my mom taking and inventory of items and questioning what are these? Black beans—“frijoles negros” replied my mom. I remember then planning a meal from the contents of our food box and my mom reassuring me the black beans were going to be delicious. I knew at that time that someone cared about us because we now had food to eat.

My life’s journey led me to Metro CareRing, where I would learn so much more about how the food I sorted through as a child with my mom made its way to our counter top—how it nourishes the body, the mind, and the soul.

I now know that you care enough...

• that you use your hard earned money to give for someone like me
• that you take the time to go shopping and wait in the grocery store line to buy food for someone like me
• that you drive your donation to Metro CareRing for someone like me
• that you take time out of your daily to volunteer at Metro CareRing to serve someone like me.

Today, I get to receive the blessings of service, the gift of knowing that another person, another family is being fed, and that they will share in the sacred and simple experience of a meal together. Maybe, they will even enjoy delicious black beans. Thank you for making a difference in my life and a difference in the lives of so many others.

Day 44. Dollar 44. Pound 44. By joining us in the $1 a day, pound a day campaign you are offering so much more than food, you are offering hope and, as in Minerva's case, impacting a life to journey much farther than you may ever know. Thank you for being an Avenue of Hope!