Our Monday service experiences in November and December have been pretty successful. I'm glad we could all participate in activities together where we focused on someone else. It felt good to have it be part of our holiday season.
For our last Monday before Christmas we passed out sandwiches again. We started out finding a gentleman on the corner of 3300 South and State. We pulled into a parking lot so Nick and I could safely run him a lunch, but as we got close he looked frightened and started to back away. He couldn't understand what Nick was saying so I spoke a little louder and handed him the lunch and $10.
Next we saw a man pushing a grocery cart piled high with belongings so we let Chris out of the car to run after him.
We had to pull around a movie theater to pick Chris up, but when we got there, Chris wasn't there. We drove back to the front of the building and he was talking to another gentleman who was asking him where a church was that he could ask for help. He said he was trying to get $15 for a bus ticket to Idaho to see his dad. I told him we'd be happy to give him $20 and a lunch and he was a little unsure if there was a catch. "I can give you a gift card in return..." No, that's ok. We're happy to help.
We tried over by the old ShopKo again because we had good luck there the year before. Sure enough there were two young guys on the corner and super happy for the lunches. "Thank you! We were starving!"
Driving around closer to downtown, I saw a guy and I felt like we should help him out. Chris jumped out and chatted with him a minute. Then Chris said, "Do you want a sandwich?" And the guy responded, "For real?!" Chris gave him the lunch and the guy said, "That just made my day."
Right then we also saw a guy on crutches crossing the street. I jumped out to offer him some help and a ride. He was happy to talk a minute but embarrassed to take the lunch or money. He'd had knee surgery and didn't live too far away, but hadn't been able to work. "I hate being in a position to need money from strangers. I hate it. But I could really use it." Then take it. We want you to have it and we're happy to help. He declined the ride.
Chris and Nick were able to run together across the street and give a lunch to a woman with a grocery cart walking home. We weren't sure if she had food in it or her belongings. Turns out it was her belongings.
Dan jumped out after a guy but was rebuffed. Oops, guess he didn't need help with food after all...
And finally right outside the Joseph Smith Building a young woman with a bright smile was holding a sign for food. I gave her a lunch and the money. She gave me another huge smile.
By then it was pretty late so we headed back home. I really love this night.
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