Homeless Eric

So many things happened last Tuesday night. We had 18 volunteers and served 85 plates of food. So many of the volunteers are not just showing up but are conducting their own ministry. One volunteer had purchased $100 of wool socks for the homeless. Every homeless person that came in, he would say “let me see your socks” and then to their delight they would receive brand new pair of socks. Keeping your feet dry and warm on the street is very difficult. Some came in with coats that they distributed to those who were in need. Some of the homeless requested blankets which we had an ample supply to meet that need. One volunteer rewarded the kitchen help by ordering Papa Johns pizza for them to eat while cleaning up and washing the dishes. It was yummy. I could not resist.

One of our long time friends, Eric, showed up last Tuesday. Although, he has been coming off and on each Tuesday since Paul started 5 years ago, we had not seen him for two or three weeks. I have always liked Eric. He is always happy and smiling regardless of his circumstances. He even told me that he and another friend were “flying a sign” (panhandling) and he was advised to stop looking so happy and waving at everyone. His friend told him that homeless people should look sad but that is not Eric. I could use a little of his disposition. Check out the following video where Eric talks about Food for Life Ministries. He told me that taking a Toastmasters class helped him to give this speech without any preparation.



After we cleaned up, Paul set the alarm to Triune Mercy Center. Each of us left to give a couple of our friends a ride. Eric had placed his blanket next to the door while taking the trash to the dumpster. When he retrieved his blanket he heard the burglar alarm. We had barely got out of the parking lot when Eric ran across the street to tell us about the alarm. I called Paul and we met back at the building. We determined that there was a loose connection on the door and reset the alarm and then left again. We drove up the street when I saw a blue light behind us. It was the police. I was concerned because we were sitting on the floor of the catering van with no seat belts. Unfortunately, there are only two seats in the van and we had given those to the ladies. But it turned out that he was only concerned about the status of the alarm and did not ticket us for not using a seat or a seat belt. We were very grateful.
~Marc