By: Lydia Weflen
It’s been a busy week at The Branch, and it all began not on Monday, but on Sunday this week! We received an email Sunday morning saying that there was 12 pallets of dairy and meat that were going to be thrown out if someone didn’t come get them. After several hours of searching, we finally found a truck and a driver to pick them up and bring them to The Branch. We rallied up volunteers from Belmont, church friends, and personal friends, and gathered at The Branch on Sunday evening to unload the truck. While this wasn’t in any of our plans on Sunday morning, we knew that we had to do whatever it took to rescue that food. We were able to house some of it for our clients and give the rest of it away to 10+ other organizations and churches to use it for their people and communities in need, especially after the flooding that took place over the weekend.
Each day at The Branch is different and full of unexpected surprises. But we truly feel the Lord’s blessings on us as we continue to receive an abundance of food each week, and enough volunteers to make it all happen. Psalm 23:5 says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.”
Our enemy this week was the rain flooding a large portion of our building, losing power, amongst other things. But God still prepared a table, a feast, for us, and our cups (or in our case, our carts for our clients!) continue to overflow with food to nourish our community. Although the work can be hard and overwhelming, God continues to supply us with our every need. Our need for food, volunteers, funding, and the list goes on. This week we are grateful.