I tend to be a planner, and don't do well with things foist upon me. I'm *trying* to be flexible and more in the moment versus "ok, sure, but next week."
I co-lead the Cub Scouts for the 4th grade. I've been a secretary of sorts but as the years have past I've been upgraded to event planner and chaperone, too. The actual leader needed to go out of town unexpectedly and I ended up doing the service project for good citizenship to Feed My Starving Children.
Confession: The Christmas song "Feed the World" always makes me cry. Hungry people in Africa when we're indulging in ham and cookies leads right to be well-developed sense of occasional Catholic guilt.
I did it - sent out the confirming email - coordinated efforts with a second driver, found the seven Scouts, and drove the 16 miles to the nearest "Feed My Starving Children" site. We were a few minutes late, but got scrubbed and our hair nets on. We spent the next 90 minutes preparing bags of a powdered chicken/freeze dried veggies/heaping cups of soy and rice which were then weighed, sealed, and packed in boxes. We shared the room with about 60 other individuals. We ended up making enough meals to feed 70 children for a year.
This food goes to Haiti and Africa and Sounth America. I loved that we prayed over the food for safe passage, for the people who transport it, for those who are in greatest need of it, those that prepared it. I love the fact that my group of fourth graders *got* it, and were careful and respectful and diligent in carrying out their tasks.
We tasted the end product which was like baby food chicken rice dinner, not at all bad. To think that such a meal is a blessing to people makes me feel somewhat humbled.
This was definitely a worth-while event. Lesson to self: Keep an open mind and an open heart. Look past your own need for a controlled schedule. If you wouldn't have stepped up, this wouldn't have happened and these boys wouldn't have had the wonderful experience that they did.
Service: Feed My Starving Children
October 27th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
October 27th, 2011 at 11:57 pm 1319759836
October 28th, 2011 at 12:20 am 1319761251
October 28th, 2011 at 05:33 am 1319779985
When our DKs were younger we belonged to a Service Club and were committed to serving Christmas Dinner early on Christmas Day at the family [church] homeless shelter. It was a very joyful experience, lots of signing Carols and funny stories. Our DKs learned more from helping than any amount of instruction could have provided.
We all appreciate our fortunate circumstances so much more.