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Finding Purpose One Day at a Time

Wednesday January 9, 2019

Meet Barbara Johnson. She is just one face of many who receive food assistance while struggling to make ends meet every month. Barbara has visited One Way Deliverance Ministry for a couple of years now and she says that every time she has come, the staff has treated her with complete kindness and respect.

“The people are so pleasant and have such great personalities,“ says Barbara. “I’m grateful because this food has really helped me. And not only has it helped me, but it has helped other people, who I have come in contact with… This has really been a blessing and I want to genuinely, wholeheartedly say ‘thank you.’”

Barbara also says she appreciates all the staff and people who come to volunteer and help distribute food at the pantry.

“Sometimes I see that the boxes of food are full and heavy, and those people pick up the boxes and carry them to the cars – with a smile on their face. Plus the fact that they are leaving their family, they are leaving their chores to come and to help us and to give to the community. So it’s been a real blessing for me. I thank God that He enabled people to step up and give.”

Barbara says that because she feels so blessed to be helped like she is at the pantry, she often tries to find ways to give back to her community. She feels grateful to be able to give as well as receive. Barbara will often leave clothing and household supplies outside her home for others to take if they have the need. It’s all about sharing.

“I used to wonder all the time what my purpose was,” she said. “I kept praying and asking. I’m almost 77 years old and I need to know my purpose. But as I pondered on it, I realized that giving is my purpose. But I want to genuinely say thank you to Pastor Rogers and the pantry staff because I am a grateful person to have been on the receiving end of these commodities.”

Johnson says there are also so many others at the pantry who are grateful for the food they receive and in many cases the food is their last hope. 

“Like myself, people are grateful. A lot of times, I hear people saying, ‘I don’t know what I’d do had it not been for the food pantry’ or ask ‘where would I get food to help my children?’ A lot of people are really grateful for this.”

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