I started my Sabbatical last Thursday, and it’s hard to believe that day 7 is already here. I have been keeping myself busy with a couple of projects at home, the main one being this little guy:
Wrigley (yes, I’m a Cubs fan) is 10 weeks old and I picked up the little guy on Saturday. His breed is Siberian, and he is hypoallergenic. He’s going to be a big boy (his paws are huge), and he already has a great personality. I can’t leave a room without Wrigley following right behind me. He’s a smart dude, and he learned how to play fetch in about 15 minutes. He’s already living out his championship heritage.
I spent this past Saturday volunteering at the Sunshine Food Pantry. The Church I attend has partnered with this organization that serves the underprivileged in our community. Last year there were almost 6,000 families (over 21,000 individuals) that used the food pantry. When you think about it, this is an incredible number of people who are in need. The Food Pantry is operated 100% by volunteers. There is a community action coalition that works with grocery stores and food distributors to help provide food and supplement donations.
I spent most of my day checking in guests, restocking food items, and taking individuals through the grocery aisles to shop. The State designates each family a certain number of points for both general food, and meat/frozen items. This is determined by the number of people in their household. Every food item has a point assigned to it and they use these points to purchase food items.
I was able to be a part of helping serve 15 families, who walked away with over 1,200 pounds of food. It’s a great feeling giving back and helping people who are in need. I enjoyed having some meaningful conversations and listening to their stories. Everyone seemed very appreciative and many went out of their way thanking the volunteers. I felt like I should be doing more. It certainly puts life in perspective. I look forward to serving again in a few weeks.
On Sunday and Monday, I was able to visit and spend time with my parents (and Baylie). They drove up from Peoria, Illinois. The weather was near perfect, so we decided to get out on the boat. Good times!!
