Mobile Loaves & Fishes Blog

Welcome Mom and Dad Luck

Hello friends. What a great time I had serving the homeless this weekend. My parents were in town this past Saturday. I let everyone know last week that Mom and Dad would be in town and Dogman immediately announced "Wait until you taste Brian's Mom's Homemade Cookies" Mom and Dad flew in from Minneapolis late Friday night. My Mom started working in the kitchen before her bags were unpacked. Dad helped me with the Ham sandwiches. He was amazed at the chunk of ham I was putting in the ham sandwiches. I asked my parents what impacted them the most about helping me serve. My Dad noticed how polite and "real" my friends were. Dad said, "I wish more people could see this side of the homeless. There are so many who fear the unknown when in reality, they are just real people down on their luck" I have heard that more than 70% of the current employed are 1 paycheck away from being homeless themselves. When hit with the same question my Mom said, because they visit the homeless shelter in Minneapolis and actually spend the night there as volunteers, there was no surprises while helping me serve. She mentioned that there was a lot more to the preparations than she expected and was real impressed with how the Austin Capitol Area Food Bank was utilized in my service. Most of the drinks, canned soup and potato chips are purchased through the Austin Capitol Area Food Bank.  Of course my Mom mentioned that she loved making the cookies and really liked passing them out. They both were trying to get a rise out of me by bringing up things from my past to try to get my friends to comment on them. “Ask him about the time he climbed the water tower, that was a time when he was really reaching for the stars and trying to be an angel.” My friends just laughed but were very polite and respectful toward me. “Ask Brian about the time he tried to sneak home at 7AM on a Sunday morning” my Dad shouted out. Nobody ever asked me, but I am sure there are a few who wonder what the story is. Mom and Dad have left, but I am sure the cookies and kindness will be remembered by all until they return again next year.

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-Alan

Food Pantries?

Today I had the joyful opportunity to serve side by side with other brothers and sisters of faith at the Food Pantry run by Catholic Charities of Central Texas.  We served over 130 families and let me tell you personally I was worn out by the work.  Worn out in a great spiritual way.  Exhausted by the work load but also mentally exhausted that today in the most abundant country in the world that we have to resort to this distribution model to get food to poor people.  Gotta tell you though that this pantry was the best I have ever seen.  Pure joy!

But this whole idea of the food pantry network in our respective cities begs the question , why?  We already have the greatest companies on the face of the planet with the finest distribution model distributing the most tastiest, suculent food products known to man but somehow it is off limits to the poor.  Instead we have to wait until it is expired or leftover or whatever before we can get it into the food bank system to distribute through the food pantry system.  The resources to do this distribution method are enormous and I can tell you not carbon neutral.

Frankly, it is scandalous.  We need a system where our residents all can go to the HEB's, Randall's, Walmarts or whatever to purchase the food products they want for their families.  In the meantime send your money to Catholic Charities of Central Texas and the Capital Area Food Bank.  they need it!

-Alan