We all need nourishment, both literally and figuratively. As a follower of the Christian faith, I often consider the words of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I genuinely ask myself, “What Would Jesus Do?”, which is funny because as a young girl growing up in the 90s, I rocked the WWJD bracelet. Back then, I was not as vocal about my faith, or anything really. I was shy and for those that know me — yep… I’m telling the truth. I kept my head down in books or staring at the TV. I had my faith, but I didn’t know how to use it. I didn’t know how to lean into it and, more importantly, how I could use it to better the world.
Well, it took some time (like 20+ years), but I think I’m starting to figure it out. I found the Christian Service Center (CSC) through a church sign-up in 2016. It was perfect timing (as all things are with God). The CSC’s downtown center is a few blocks from where I work in Orlando. They were asking for volunteers to serve lunch for their Daily Bread service, which they host 6 days a week. This program’s goal is a simple one – to feed those who are hungry. On average, around 200 people are fed daily in our community through this program.
As I mentioned, as a child, I didn’t look for opportunities to contribute to my community and lean into my faith. I want to ensure my young daughter understands the opportunities available to her that she will be fully supported in her efforts to better her community. I have brought my daughter to CSC to help serve lunch a few times over the past year. She loves getting to put a cookie on everyone’s plate or stack the boxes. After our times of service, we spoke in length about the importance of helping our fellow people. I am grateful to the CSC for not only fulfilling a longing inside me to give back on a regular basis but to also allow me the chance to instill this love for caring for others into my little girl. We see people in need, every day and I want her to know she can be part of making someone’s life better.
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