Story from Soul Food
Below is a recap from two people who helped deliver food to one of the KHS families supported by Flood’s Soul Food Impact Team on July 5th. It’s amazing to see how just $5’s-worth of food can really impact the lives of these families. Make sure you catch the prayer requests at the bottom.
We visited Veronica, a single mom with her 14 year-old daughter, Jesse (who was at a friend’s house).
They are homeless, but were house sitting for friends for a couple days. When we came to the door, Veronica had a subtle smile on her face. You could tell she was feeling the weight of her situation, but showed an overall extremely positive attitude.
She and her daughter had been eating nothing but dry cereal (that was given to them) the past few days, so she was very excited to see the groceries and the variety. She was particularly excited about having a fresh loaf of bread.
After introductions and the presentation of the groceries, I read Psalm 55:22 and offered to pray for her and her daughter. When asked what she could use prayer for, she gave a simple, yet deep answer: “Everything”. So we prayed. I felt her hand grab tighter as the prayer went on, and I could sense the tears welling up in her eyes. When we finished, I gave her a hug and she was sweating. She said that she always feels warm when she is praying. Apparently that’s more than just a metaphor.
We talked a little more about her story and her needs. She recognizes God’s provision even in the darkest of situations. God put a roof over her head by allowing her to house sit, and gave her food to eat through the gifts delivered by Soul Food and Flood Church. She makes it a point to constantly teach her daughter of the importance of charity, and despite their present woes they still engage in charitable acts. Something we can all take a lesson from.
Unfortunately, Veronica and Jesse have been denied access to numerous local shelters because she is clean and mentally stable. Most of the shelters around town give priority to drug and alcohol users, and the mentally unstable. She has a car, but the registration is expired and she had accumulated over $600 in fees, plus additional maintenance, to make the car drivable. She is also trying to file for bankruptcy, but cannot afford the lawyer’s fees (irony of the system) and is struggling to file on her own.
Overall, it was an extremely rewarding experience and Veronica and her daughter are extremely thankful for the loving kindness shown to her by Christ and his Church. To all those who donated supplies for Soul Food, know that your gifts truly make a difference. I encourage you to continue sharing your gifts as they don’t go unnoticed.
Prayer requests Veronica & Jesse:
-A permanent roof over their heads
-Health and peace of mind to continue
-Work
-Help with her car and filing for bankruptcy
Tangible gifts:
-Anyone able and willing to help her file for bankruptcy
-Help pay for registration costs for her car (~$600), or get them reduced
-Help fix her car
If you are interested in helping this family with some of the tangible needs listed above, or if you want to sign-up to start helping with Soul Food, contact Jenny at Food@DIVEintoFLOOD.com.