When John Chadsey made the hundred dollar challenge in 2006, I
took the U S Grant bill and began looking for an organization that would use
the cash to do some good. For weeks I hoped and prayed unsuccessfully to
find such an organization. To get others to have a challenge that would
cause them to pray also, I gave out three hundred dollars: one to my son who helped at
an unwed mother's home, one to my daughter who became involved with a
local food bank, and one to a confirmand whom I was mentoring who helped a blind boy with his problem. Still I had not
found anywhere to use my hundred dollars.
The Sunday before I was to tell in the next
Sunday's service the outcome of my challenge, my prayers were answered. I learned
that our food distribution group could no longer operate because we could not
receive government food, which was going to victims of Hurricane Katrina which had devastated the Gulf coast.
That day I went to the Warrenton Safeway store and got on
their calendar for three days in the
next week to collect food from their customers. Then with a number of my
friends who volunteered we handed out flyers to customers who donated more than
a ton of food and over $800.00. I was relieved that I would have something
positive to report at next Sunday's service.
Since that day in 2006, volunteers have handed
out flyers at Safeway or Giant every month. In twelve years- 144 months- they have collected over
120 tons of food and more than $8,000.00 in cash and gift cards, which have gone to needy people in
Fauquier County.
