Christian HELP’s Food Pantry – Reaching Out in a Place of Love and Miracles

One of the most vivid accounts of Jesus’ love and compassion for people comes to life in the Bible story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, (John 6 and Mark 6). Even as a child, I took great delight in picturing that huge crowd assembled on a distant green hill, soaking up the rays of a sunny day, while listening to the loving voice of Jesus. On that particular day, time must have swiftly raced by as the people took in valuable spiritual nourishment for their parched souls. The problem was, no one had apparently bothered to keep track of how physically hungry everyone would become as the day progressed. Jesus, on the other hand, had a very special plan in mind that would ultimately save the day. He knew exactly what his grace and love would soon impart to each man and woman, and every boy and girl. A miracle was in the making…

Can you picture Jesus in high gear as he got to work on that bright and expectant afternoon? Calmly, (he was never panicked), his disciples were instructed to make the people sit down as they rounded up one ordinary boy’s donated lunch of two fish and five loaves. In an instant, the boy’s lunch was transformed into a meal that served the entire crowd of 5,000. That scrumptious picnic feast handily filled every belly, with abundant leftovers to spare. The Bible tells us simply, “They all ate and were satisfied.” (Mark 6:42). Jesus’ actions demonstrated then, as now, that his heart “had compassion on them.” (Matthew 20:34).

Christian HELP’s Food Pantry reaches out to the hungry of Central Florida with a similar heart of compassion. In a world that continues to reel from a troubled economy, Christian Help regularly meets the physical needs of hundreds of families as these individuals go about the big job of seeking employment. With gentle respect for all, people consistently come and receive well balanced food items that are distributed carefully and with love, including bread, meat, vegetables, fruit, cheese, lunchmeat, and dessert. “We show our clients the face of God,” says Food Pantry manager, Mark Blanton, quietly. “We give them all a smile,” he explains, sharing also how incredibly important a smile can be for people beaten down by the multiple pressures of modern life.

The Food Pantry got its start some 20 years ago under the watchful and dedicated eye of Christian HELP co-founder, Madge Wilson. Today her guiding influence is still felt as those who serve in the pantry continue to carry on with high energy, fairness, equity, and stewardship – the very qualities which meant so much to Madge.

Donated food items make the food pantry a center of bustling activity and outreach. All of the food is made possible by generous provisions from community partners such as Walmart, Target, Bob Evans, Pizza Hut, Winn Dixie, and Publix. It’s not a boy’s lunch, of course, but it works in much the same miraculous way, bringing food that tends to multiply as it is given to sustain so many.

There is a poignant side note about Christian HELP’s food distribution team. It seems that as the small army carries out their Herculean mission each day, the team grows ever more united in ministry. They are, quite simply, a modern day version of Jesus’ disciples in motion. Some of the team members are long time volunteers like Gwen, Eva, Miss Annie May, John and Ron. Others are young people doing volunteer community service for school credit, and loving every minute of it. Still others are working off community service hours as they gain powerful lessons in respecting others while also being treated with respect themselves. Through it all, it’s hard to determine who gets more blessed – those who work to give, or those who come to blessedly receive.

Yes, Christian HELP’s Food Pantry is a place of uncommon blessing. Oh, it might not be located upon that same ancient hillside of long ago where Jesus fed the 5,000. But it is still a place of unusual and ongoing miracle. It is that place where quiet spiritual and physical nourishment lovingly reach men and women, and boys and girls each and every day, right here in Central Florida.

By Chris Schneider

Engraved On the Palms of His Hands

One of the most encouraging verses in all the Bible is found in Isaiah 49:15 and 16 where God reassures us that we are all constantly on his mind. “I will not forget you!” he emphasizes. “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Can you just picture the God of the universe with his palms covered, yes saturated with images of his children? Every one of us is right there for him to see and remember at all times. It’s quite a portrait of our God.

At Christian HELP, every person who walks through the door is also highly valued, not forgotten, and treated with genuine care and respect. Men and women discover quickly that they have stepped into a place where the love of God will touch their lives profoundly. They’re in the right place.

Early this week, I had the chance to come face to face with some of these special men and women when they dropped by to seek help with their resumes. Each person got a loving handshake - that universal gesture which communicates instant acceptance and respect. It’s the perfect way to start “resume time.”

As the day got underway, I met Mickey, (name has been changed) an older man with a background in the legal profession and financial planning. His professional world had crumbled, but his faith remained strong, despite poverty and onetime homelessness. Not long ago, he found himself reaching out to a local church and was blessed by a friend there who took him in and became a brother in Christ. Mickey told me that at one point, he lived briefly in an empty, foreclosed house with no water or power, and was grateful to have had a roof over his head to escape the cold. I didn’t detect bitterness as he spoke, only anxious hope for the future. It was a privilege to help him with his resume, and an even greater joy to witness his eyes as new hope began to spread over his countenance.

Next was Susie, (name has been changed) a small woman with a shy yet feisty demeanor who also needed help with her resume. The economy had been hard on this little lady, and she now suffered from dental problems and no job. As we discussed her past employment history, she told me part of her life story and it was a thrill to see her light up when she described how much fun she used to have making ice cream cakes at a local ice cream franchise. “It’s not hard to make one,” she explained knowingly. “It just takes time.” Listening to her and helping her piece together a fresh strategy for her resume was like enjoying a scoop of delicious ice cream! My prayer is that Susie will soon be serving people in the restaurant of her dreams.

Christian HELP is all about providing meaningful help to everyone who walks through the door. It’s about listening well to each person and providing hope, encouragement, love, and prayer – the precious fundamentals of the Christian life.

And so we have a picture to embrace… God engraves our lives on the palms of his hands. He makes a point to constantly remember his people because we are all precious in his sight.

It is also a picture of what Christian HELP is all about.


By Chris Schneider

A soldier's story

During the Christian HELP Christmas Program, an email confirmation came in from a soldier who wanted to adopt two families for Christmas. At first we were a little skeptical, because the soldier was on active duty in Europe. How could this work? How would he get the gifts and food to the families or our office? So we emailed the soldier and asked these questions. He said he would order everything online and have it delivered to Christian HELP, and asked if we could wrap them. We said yes! This was unbelievable!

In the days that followed, packages started to come in for his two adopted families. We put everything away and sent email confirmations to the soldier, to let him know what had been delivered. It was an exciting process. Packages were coming in randomly, so we had to record and insure the right gifts went to the right family. The soldier had been given the telephone numbers of his adopted families and called them, but insisted on remaining anonymous. The first family he called was an Egyptian refugee, who spoke Arabic as did the soldier!

It was getting close to the dates, that the families would come to the office to pick up their Christmas adoption and we were still missing one gift, dance clothing for a little girl. A few of us were getting nervous and just prayed that the Lord would make it come in on time. About one half hour later the last gift came in! We cheered; were so happy and were now able to call the two families to come pick up!

When the families came in, they were overwhelmed and the tears just flowed. The questioned asked was, “is this all for us?” speaking almost in a dream state of unbelief. We said yes. The families were humble and so very thankful to have been blessed in such a big way. We took a photo of each family and emailed it to the Solider. We asked how did you hear about Christian HELP’s Christmas program? He said through his sister in Florida.

As usual, God came through at all the right times and you helped in a huge way by making it possible to have all that was necessary on our end. Thanks for helping with the other 602 families who got Christmas in 2011.

Preventing homelessness by helping people find jobs...

60 Minutes - how we are helping

Last night 60 minutes aired a heartbreaking story about families living in their cars. This unfortunate reality is happening nightly in Central Florida and other places. We have been hit hard by long term unemployment and the housing market bubble bursting. There are jobs out there, but the competition is high and those who have skills that are not in demand are left out in the cold as well as many who are uneducated and unskilled.

In March, Christian HELP with many others in the community formed the Casselberry community task force to support the schools and help families in need. Since that time, over 35 churches, businesses and individuals have joined in the fight to prevent homlessness and hunger. Below is an excerpt of an interview we had with Fox Orlando.

Community helping homeless kids in Seminole County : MyFoxORLANDO.com

To see the CBS Overtime report which includes the task force, click this link: Everyone Can do Something.

Together we can make a difference in our own communities. Thank you for making a difference through Christian HELP and the Task Force.

Client Testimonial Video

Since this video was recorded, Peter started a job at Campus Crusade. This was an answer to prayer. The struggles of the unemployed are real. They hurt. We have to continue to come together as a community to love our neighbors and help them in their time of need. Janes 2:14-2:17 has been on our hearts as we see so many of our neighbors work so hard to find employment. Thank you for helping them through Christian HELP.

I have a dream

In 1963 Martin Luther King stood at the Lincoln Memorial and shared his dream for our nation. He shared a dream of equality and not judging people by the color of their skin, but by their character. I too have a dream. I dream that the community will rise up to support their own. That neighbor will love neighbor and that no child will go hungry. I dream of a day when once again everyone who is looking for a job can find one. I dream of eliminating poverty (and yes, I do know Jesus said the poor will always be among us), and I dream we the people, we the church, we the community will care for our own. I hope this is your dream as well. Imagine each one of us in this room knowing we had a part in such positive change.

The number one cause of poverty and homelessness is unemployment. We can’t wait for the Government to figure out how to solve the problems of poverty. We have to work together to solve them ourselves. Crisis and Disasters often bring us together to solve problems around us. 60 minutes brought attention to a crisis in our community back in March when they showcased the problems of homelessness and hunger amongst children in our community. At Christian HELP we responded to this crisis, by working together with the community to form a task force in Casselberry working with the schools to eradicate hunger and homelessness. Eight months later, we are making a difference every day in the lives of children and their families who are in need. This has been a true collaborative effort between churches, businesses, individuals, non-profits, and the schools. By looking at not just feeding the problem, but working with the families, we can see people move ahead. Helping people is messy and it doesn’t always work out the way you want it to, but helping people is good for everyone involved.

When Ben and Mindy needed help, they reached out to Casselberry Elementary. The school reached out to a church, Aloma Methodist, they helped them to get out of their car and into a hotel. We joined in the fight and helped Ben and Mindy move into their new place. Ben is now working 2 jobs and trying to make ends meet. Their story is not over yet, but it is a great testimony to how working together we can change lives for the better.

When John D'Amelio from CBS Sunday Morning came to Christian HELP he said "This agency is different, and I have been to a lot of agencies." He meant it in a good way. In a time of automated voice mail and take a number mentalities, Christian HELP is truly focused on what matters. Clients, Volunteers, and donors are so important to us. Our team is devoted to making the experience of visiting Christian HELP a good one for anyone who might need our help. Someone said Hope, Encouragement, Love, and Prayer sounds like we just give a hug to the unemployed. In a sense we do, but there is so much more.

What makes us different than other agencies? Is it our book knowledge, degrees and expertise? Is it the combination of our services? Is it our longevity? We are unique because we live our passion to serve God and others daily. We hold people accountable, but we deliver services in a loving way. We are compassionate, yet tough. We are willing to work with anyone who needs our services, but we expect they will help themselves as much as we help them. We give respect and we expect it in return. Our goal is to equip and empower and not to enable.

Jackie our Ministry Development Director summarized our services this way: "We have had 20 years of collecting resources, 20 years of meeting with clients one on one, 20 years of discerning who is looking for hand outs and who is genuinely in need.

With your help, we continue to feed, we continue to educate, we continue to supply job leads; however our expertise is in providing God's love to those who are drowning in our society, not judging but providing tangible tools to use to navigate and survive in this environment." Christian HELP is able to HELP because our desire is to be a light in people's lives when they are walking through the darkness of unemployment, hunger, and despair.

You are Christian HELP. It is your prayers, your talents, your passion, and your commitment that brings hope to the hopeless and makes a way for people to see there are good people out there who really do want to help.

I have a dream that there will be no more men with cardboard signs on the street that say “will work for food”. I have a dream that parents will not have to choose between eating and paying rent. I have dream that no child will have to say “mommy, I am hungry.” I have a dream that more employers will say, “you are hired”. Will you join me in this dream?

Together we can dream of a brighter future. We can dream about creating a strong community. We can dream about a time when tummies are filled and everyone has a place to call home.