The election brought a considerable amount of divisiveness to our nation and communities. You are either thrilled or terrified about the next four years.
At the LCM, It’s business as usual. We are in full swing on the holiday programs we offer. With Thanksgiving this week, we have one more day of distribution. This year we are thrilled to be celebrating Thanksgiving at Fresca Trattoria with our clients who are kitchen challenged. That is, people living in hotels, overworked single parents, disabled persons and seniors who can no longer cook. We are grateful to Lisa Myers for her generosity in pulling this together for us. There are still a few tickets available for those who need a welcoming table on Thanksgiving.
We have also begun our holiday gift giving program for children, disabled persons and seniors. Last year we assisted 117 families with the holidays. This year we have 198 households who have signed up for assistance. I am in awe at the number of sponsors who are coming forward to meet the demand. We are halfway to full sponsorship.
Our partner churches have really stepped up to help with the Feast Bag program as we send dinner celebration kits home with the families in our care. It may seem like a small thing, but when you hit a period of struggle in your life, it’s very important to stop and remember that life is more than struggle. There are still reasons to celebrate, such as family, friends and God’s love.
The food drives sponsored by civic groups and schools have begun. The food piles higher and higher every day as we become fully stocked for the next six months. The new storage units we just installed are almost full. The Boy Scouts really delivered an abundance of donations to fill them up.
Monetary contributions come rolling in at the end of the year from individuals who remember us and the work we do. These contributions will help fund a nest egg to support the financial assistance program for the next three months.
We may be politically divided as a nation, but here at the Co-op we are united as a community in our determination to spread goodwill to our fellow Lilburnites. This is the best place in the world to work. Right now, the goodness, compassion and generosity that rests in each of our souls is on full display. It’s absolutely beautiful.
My heart is full of gratitude and the love we are receiving from the good people in our community.
