CARITAS

Our family was blessed to be involved with CARITAS (Congregations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter) this week. Churches around Richmond rally together to provide shelter, needed supplies, showers, and hot meals for the homeless of Richmond area. Each church does this for a week at a time during the winter months. This past week was Fairmount Christian Church's (our church family) turn.

Our family signed up to help on Tuesday evening to serve dinner. My heart was to spend time with the visitors, but that wasn't a need listed for volunteers. We brought food for our little ones along with some puzzles and books for them to play with while Matt and I helped serve.

When we arrived, I felt discouraged. We had scraped our van off and drug Nathan and Grace out in the snow cone weather we were getting...to be told that they didn't need our help prepping or serving. I'm thankful there were so many volunteers, but wasn't sure why we were there.

The answer soon came...I was serving drinks when I saw a woman about my age struggling to get herself and her 5, yes 5, children to the table for dinner. The children ranged from 17 days old to 6 years old. Everyone had been served except this family so I went over and asked if she'd like me to hold her (screaming) baby so she could eat. And Matt helped her get enough plates for her family while I talked to the other children sitting at the table. Matt also helped cut up the food and get drinks.

After this family was done eating, we offered to spend time with the children so the mom could get a shower, wash laundry or rest. I saw her face light up at this offer. So that is why God prompted me to bring the puzzles and books. For the next hour, I held a sleeping newborn baby while Matt, Nathan, Grace and I played puzzles, read, and ran around playing with these children.

As we got ready to leave, the oldest girl asked me where we were going...I was so heart broken to tell her that we were going HOME...something she has probably never known.

I barely slept that night. I knitted a hat for the baby, found coloring pages for the older children of their favorite characters, and put together a pampering goodie bag for the mom.

Needless to say, we returned Wednesday night. Nathan sat right up at the table with his new friends. (Grace wanted to eat their food...our little miss piggy.) I don't even know how to describe their excitement when they saw we brought coloring pages, new crayons, different books and puzzles...and that we took the time to sit and play with them. I wish I'd had my camera...at one point, Matt had Nathan plus a few other little boys chasing him around the gym... the delight in the squeals brought smiles to even the adult faces.

The mom with five children had a sparkle in her eyes when we got their Wed night. She later told me that city of Richmond had built homes for 8 homeless families and they were getting one. She had just found out that day and the next day was going to a warehouse to pick out her furntiure. WOW!

I am so blessed that God would use our family (all of us together) to bless this family!!