Getting Started

Some of you may want to begin helping others in a personal way,  beyond giving money to charities, but you may not know how to start.  It can be overwhelming to think of what to do.  The main thing I can say is to keep your eyes and ears open for *need*.  If you have a heart for helping those in need, God *will* place the need before you.  The key is to have your ears and eyes tuned in to listen, hear, and see.  

Some people carry Ziploc bags of personal hygiene products in their trunks to give out when they see a homeless person or others in need on the street.  Others carry nonperishable foods in their trunk for the same purpose.  When we think of buying food for the needy, it does not have to be cumbersome.  I have utilized the Dollar Tree, B1G1F offers at BiLo and Publix, and now a discount grocery store in my parents' town.  I begin with any protein products, then I look for bulk rice, canned fruit and veggies, and some treats for the children.  Now, let me relate a true story of how God placed a need in my face.

A few months ago a colleague of mine down the hall brought a girl to my room to eat something the colleague had brought from home.  She knew I had no students at the time.  When she called me into the hallway as the sixth grader was eating, she asked if she could periodically bring her down to eat.  Then, she related the child's home situation of the step-dad being out of work due to an injury.  The girls would get two meals a day at school, but there was not much for the weekends and at night.  Bingo!  God sent her to me for me to fulfill that need.  

Now, some people may discount that notion.  However, that was the one and only time Y has been sent to my room to eat.  That was simply a time God used to alert me to a need.  Once he shows you, He will show you what to do. Giving to world missions is fine, and I know churches who focus on that.  They tend to think homeless and poor people here are lazy, but I digress into another post topic. 
However, there are people amongst us every day who need help...truly need help.
Let's open our eyes and hearts to see.