Saturday, April 22, 2023

Meeting Needs

 

Koralie Pena is in 2nd grade.  Due to an early lunch schedule, she and other students in her class are allowed to bring a snack for the afternoon.  One day, Ruby Pena asked her daughter if all the other kids brought snacks each day.  Koralie responded, “No not everyone does.”  Upon further questioning, Ruby found out the students without snacks sit and complete work while the other students enjoy their snacks.  The next day, Ruby took additional snacks for both Koralie and her son Noah’s PreK 4 class to share with the kids who didn’t have snacks.  She plans to do that weekly for the rest of the school year so “no kid will be left without!”

Gwendolyn Stulgis was married in Ohio in the spring.  She was able to wear the dress of her dreams, costing nearly $3,000.  Gwendolyn thought it was not good that the bridal gown was only going to be worn once.  That’s when she came up with an idea and posted on Facebook that she wanted to give her dress to another bride who might not be able to afford such a nice dress.  Stulgis’ one condition for getting the dress was for the future bride to have the gown dry cleaned after wearing it and then pass it on to another bride for free.  Other brides have also joined the group “Shared Dream Dresses” and are doing the same.

 

Some of the high school students, at Canterbury School in Ft. Myers, Florida, were discussing how their grandparents were in need of additional help when it came to technology.  That’s when Aaron and Christian realized that the senior citizens in their community probably had the same needs.  Thus, the forming of the Club for Literacy Education Outreach (CLEO).  “We really wanted to make an impact on seniors in our community after experiencing the struggles our own grandparents were having with technology,” commented Aaron.  The Brookdale Senior Living Facility is close to the high school.  One day a week, the club members walk to Brookdale to offer assistance with any technical questions or problems.  They help with phones, email, texting pictures, clearing out the inbox, and other requests.  The residents are thrilled with the technology help and enjoy that the students also take time to sit and visit with them afterwards.  Because of the success, other CLEO groups have started.  Aaron stated, “We are excited to partner with friends at other high schools to start a CLEO club.  Soon there will be chapters at Fort Myers High School, Mariner High School, as well as a few schools in North Carolina and Kentucky.  We have also partnered with the National Honor Society to try to expand the project throughout the nation.”   

 

Whether individually or as a group, may we, too, find ways to meet the needs of others.

 

 

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

2 Corinthians 9:12

 

Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.

Titus 3:14

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