Tales from the Thrift
The thrift store and We Care ministry serves a diverse population. We are in the business of helping people. And we do it alot, every day. Sometimes the volunteers here do not see who we are helping. What is seen is Candace quietly giving food to someone outside the door, or just hearing me yelling and seeing me run around asking for a particular size of shorts or shoes for someone at the door.
One day a young man came to our mission, asking for help. He shared that he is currently going through a difficult time, and wanted to get back home to his family in Washington. That would be the state, not DC, just about as far away from Florida as one can get. He had been employed, lost his job, and was currently making do living out of a tent not too far away. We gave him some food, and asked him to return the next day, so we could look into how we could help. He returned, and we set out to help the best we could. The cost of getting him home was surprisingly quite reasonable, and for us, very doable. We purchased him a bus ticket to Washington, and an Uber ride to the bus station. He was very appreciative, and we wished him well. Candace and I thought that was the end of the story. This was one of many bus tickets we have bought to help others in tough spots get to where they need to be. A couple weeks later, when the phone rang in the office at We Care, a young man was on the other end. He identified himself as being the same young man that we had helped earlier, and stated that he was calling from Washington state. To say thank you. He did not need to do this, but wanted to express his appreciation for our help. Amazing. What came to mind was the Bible story from the book of Luke, in which the man with leprosy was healed, and returned to say thank you. Here at We Care, do not expect a thank you. We do what we do because it is what is asked of us. And yet, this young man went out of his way to call us and express his gratitude. We never know who will need help, or when we will need help. What we do know is that faith and gratitude will carry us through both the good and tough times.