We started off our Saturday morning with the excitement building as everyone gathered in the basement of the St. Casimir Parish Hall. All the volunteers formed a giant circle to hear a brief description of how the pantry works and find out our job assignments.
Then we were led in a cheer of sorts – “We are a community of generosity. We are all here to give and we are all here to receive.”
What a powerful thing for my somewhat shy 5-year old to hear as we prepared to hand out fruits to pantry guests. We talked about how we would be helping people pick out fruit. She took great pride in making sure the food was well displayed. People were so generous and patient with her as she helped. She gained confidence as we went and even occasionally warmed up to a smile when people spoke to her.
The only down-side of our morning: We had to split shifts between my two kids that morning and, in true sibling-rivalry fashion, my son complained, “It’s no fair! My sister got more time to help than I did!” Guess we’ll just have to go again so everyone has a change to give and receive more!
Thanks to all the families who helped out and made our mission a success!
Bryna- Toddlers and Kids on a Mission Treasurer