Back in April, Madi and I decided that after we were both done with school, we would have a food drive in our neighborhood. (Read the post about our conversation here)
I’ll be honest…I groaned inwardly when she reminded me of my promise in late May. These “ideas” are great and all, but usually require a whole lot of “mom work” and not so much “kid work”. Plus, my to-do list was only getting longer as I was finally able to look around and see how much I had let slide in the last couple months of teaching.
But a promise is a promise, so we headed out between rainclouds to distribute our packets. As Madi propped up the paper bags with our little flyer stapled to the top at each doorstep, I wondered how many people would actually participate. We had a few neighbors that I knew would chip in, but to be safe, I enlisted aunts and grandmas to contribute and emptied our cupboards to make sure her first experience wasn’t a bust.
We had set the pickup time from 4 – 6 p.m. the following Friday, and it couldn’t come soon enough for Madi. She kept asking over and over, “Is it time yet?” Finally, it was time, and we headed out to check for food. I am sure we looked a sight…Fiona jammed in the Bjorn, Parker on the scooter, Madi walking, and me pulling our red wagon. It was muggy, so I was sweating by the time we reached the end of our driveway.
But lo and behold…we could see brown paper bags standing at attention on doorsteps up and down our street, flyers flapping in the hot breeze. I think I was more excited than Madi, especially after all my worrying that no one would remember. She looked so proud as she lugged each bag of food back to the wagon, before dashing onto the next house. When it was all said and done, I think we had about a dozen houses participate out of the fifteen or so flyers we handed out, which was tremendous.
After sorting and packing up all the food, we ended up bringing it to the Ronald McDonald House near where we live. They provide a “home away from home” for families with kids who are undergoing medical care, and one of the services they provide is a food pantry stocked with non-perishable donations. When we brought in the bags and boxes, there were two volunteers who were working in the pantry. They were especially glad to hear that we had brought easy pasta meals, because the families are usually tired when they get home from the hospital and want to make something quick. It was really cool for Madi to actually see where the food was going to go and see the playrooms and dining area in the house. It is one thing to say we give money to help people, but a completely different experience to make the connection between the giving and the receiving.
I try to give the kids a lot of different experiences…museums, books, lessons…but this was the first time they had experienced giving in such a tangible way, and I know it won’t be the last. It was just a small step towards building a lifestyle of generosity, which in today’s world of focusing on “me”, is so important to foster. It also taught me, once again, that a little faith goes a long way. I was so worried about it being “successful” instead of trusting God to take care of it.
Madi persevered, our neighbors showed generosity, and the kids at the Ronald McDonald House will benefit…sounds like a good combination to me.
