Thanks to the families of WoodsEdge this year’s Turkey Drive was a huge success! During the first three weeks of November, you donated 7,800 food items. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, 215 volunteers used the donated items to create 1,150 grocery boxes. 370 of these boxes were distributed by the WoodsEdge Hope Center, another 30 went to the Arabic Baptist Church, and the remaining 750 boxes with turkeys and 500 family activity bags were destined for Greenspoint. The next day, 225 distribution and prayer volunteers, along with our partners at Godspoint Mission Center, Eyes on Me, and La Iglesia Greenspoint, traveled to four apartment communities in Greenspoint to Bring Hope to our city.
At each apartment complex, WoodsEdge set up turkey distribution areas, prayer tents, worship music, and kids play areas. The people that we saw the most were families—too many of them single-parent families. We played with the kids, and prayed with the parents, and gave them a turkey and food box, but our time with each family represented more than a turkey. It was provision and normalcy. A family can serve multiple meals out of the supplies we delivered, increasing food security and reducing stress. For many of these families, Thanksgiving would be just another Thursday, since traditions can be expensive. With a box with turkey and fixings, however, Thanksgiving dinner stopped being something they simply heard about and became something that they could participate in.
Here are the stories of some of the people we helped at Greenspoint. These stories are not unique to this area, though, because we saw each of these scenarios multiple times, with different people, at all four apartment communities:
- In one of the apartments bordering our distribution area lived a widow. As soon as we arrived, she came out to watch the show. Sitting on her patio, cane leaned against her chair; she smiled, laughed, and talked to everyone who walked past. Multiple volunteers prayed with her. When it came time to get her groceries, she only wanted the turkey—for her, a turkey was more than a week's worth of protein. More importantly, she had a lot of new friends, and for two hours that Sunday she was not alone.
- There was a 10-year-old boy who came down and played soccer with our volunteers. After a while he ran back to his apartment. When he came back, he didn't return to the game, he lined up at the registration tent. In broken English he registered his family. We didn't know why his parents were not there; it was not our job to judge. He understood his family's need, and what we had to offer. But it was more than a turkey. Headed back to his apartment, he walked proudly and tall with a huge smile on his face. Today he was the provider; the hero. With our help, he in turn could help his family.
- As we reached the end of the day a single male timidly approached. He might have been a single dad, or his wife may have been at work. He watched us for 90 minutes. All that time his family's need battled with his pride. Right wins out and he finally stepped forward. Met with smiles and handshakes, the process got easier. As he walked off with his turkey, he was grateful, laughing and talking with volunteers. But he had more than a turkey. That day he learned that people really cared, and that there could be help without judgment.
- The man in our final story doesn't live in Greenspoint, but in The Woodlands, and attends WoodsEdge. He has been on the turkey distribution team for two years now. The Turkey Drive reminds him what God has done in his life. It reminds him to be thankful. Many years ago, he was on the other end of the distribution, and he understands now: it's not just about a turkey. It can be life changing. It is ministry, it is a touchpoint, it is love.
Every volunteer has their own story and their own reason to serve, but in the end, they are simply following the call of God. Our volunteers came to these communities and did not label them or the people living there; we loved them. We did not judge them; we encouraged them. We carried food to their homes, played games, and prayed. It is our hope that we embodied John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Our ministry partners will continue to have a presence in these communities and Bring Hope to the city of Houston.
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40