Showing posts with label News Journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News Journal. Show all posts

Monday, November 23, 2015

News Journal - Hunger In Delaware May Be Getting Worse



The number of people on food stamps in Delaware has dropped slightly over the last few years, but there are still people so hungry that they start eating out of their donation bag even before leaving a food pantry in Wilmington.
“Even with produce, they’ll sit down and start eating,” said Joseph Hickey, director of St. Patrick’s Center on the east side of the city.
People living in that kind of poverty are often overlooked, but they are living in Delaware and the deep poverty that has gripped them is spreading, Hickey said.
The percentage of people living below the federal poverty line across the state is ...

Monday, February 24, 2014

His name is Joe...

Exceptional: ex·cep·tion·al 
unusually good; outstanding.
synonyms:outstanding, extraordinary, remarkable, special, excellent, phenomenal, prodigious;
unequaled, unparalleled, unique, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, nonpareil, first-rate, first-class;
informalA1, top-notch
"his exceptional ability"

A word I would use to describe all of our volunteers, but one I would like to pull out to use on our friend Joe today. My mother always told me growing up "Never judge a book by it's cover" and so I grew up taking that saying very seriously and never did. And because of that I have met some of the most wonderful and exceptional people in the world.

On Sunday, February 9 our friend Joe was featured in the News Journal asking people to help raise food donations. I was pleased to see a most worthy candidate for the job. 


I gave Joe a call and was able to sit down with him for a few minutes for a chat....


Cher:
Joe, when did you start volunteering with LCS?

Joe:
January 2012 at the Shiloh Baptist Mobile Unit in Wilmington helping unloading, organizing, and carrying orders to cars for folks.

Cher:
What got you volunteering with Shiloh?

Joe: At first I was there to get food from the program for my family, then Sandy your program coordinator asked me if I would start helping out, and I  said “Sure, I have no problem helping out.”  That got me started on wanting to help out the community. Eventually I started working at St. Stephen’s pantry and produce on Wednesdays in addition to Shiloh, and I was added as a sub on the substitute list. I just wanted to help any way I could.

Cher:
This must have kept you very busy, what motivated you to keep adding duties to your LCS resume?

Joe:
Because you won’t let me leave. You all love me too much!!

Cher:
(Laughing) This is true…  You are very reliable and every time we call you, you are here for us. Thank you! What are your future plans with LCS?

Joe: My plans are to stick it out with LCS until a better opportunity comes along, like a job.

Cher:
We sure hope you stick around, but we sure won’t be sad to see you go because of a job.

Joe: LCS is great place to be and everyone here is very friendly and you are good to me. If I need anything I just have to call and I am treated with respect.

Thank you Joe, for everything you do. You bring a lot to the table to LCS and we are very grateful. I ran across a poem from one of my favorite writers and I thought it fit here really nicely. It's by Tom Krause.

Through my troubles and my worries are sometimes all that I can see - still I always must remember life's not only about me. 
Other souls are also hurting and I know that it's God's plan 
to reach out to help another - to extend them my hand.
With this purpose as my focus - to be a comfort to a friend -
all my troubles and my worries seem to fade out in the end.
It is one of God's true lessons - how my walk is meant to be -
true happiness I find when life's not only about me.

Thank you to all of our volunteers who give tirelessly and selflessly each and every month and make our mission possible!