When I got out of the car, the first thing I noticed were her eyes; puffy and red from crying. I couldn’t see the tears because the rain drops were mixed in, but they were there… she was crying.
It was 8:00 on a Monday morning in the parking lot of Ross and TJ Maxx. This is the usual spot to pick up our food order from Second Harvest, except today we had rain… and lots of it.
And she was crying.
She was crying because it was raining, because the 4,000 pounds of food she ordered from Second Harvest was sitting in the parking lot getting wet, she was crying because the food is delivered on our day off and the staff who are volunteering their to time are going to get soaking wet, because the volunteers who gave up their time this morning are going to get drenched. She was crying because she cared so much… for us, for who we serve, for all we do.
“It’s ok” I said, a lump forming in my throat as she tried to dry her eyes. “We have done this over 60 times, we have picked up food in the snow, in the ice, in 100 degree weather, in 20 degree weather. Its about time for a pick up in the rain”.
But it was raining hard. And she cares so much.
You see, she feeds our neighbors…she feeds the families that can’t feed themselves. She is in charge of our growing food pantry, making sure we have enough food for everyone that comes to us. When she first started we fed about 110 families and month. Now we average over 300. In September she fed 399. She feeds the elderly, she feeds the homeless, she feeds the kids of our community, she feeds everyone that comes to her. The Monday morning food pick ups are vital to her mission, her passion.
She makes sure there are proteins, fruits, vegetables and yummy snacks in each food box. She doesn’t just gather food that fills a shopping bag, she wants to feed your family what she would feed hers. The food she orders from Second Harvest fills the gaps of what is donated at the Family Center to make sure each food box is complete, to her satisfaction.
She needed the food that was being pummeled by the rain, she needed her helpers to be OK so we would help her again. She didn’t need the rain, she didn’t need the tears.
She cares so much…even in the rain.
She is dedication, she is Maury, she is what we do.
This is Maury 