Watching a Dream Come to Life
| By Judy Muhn - Jun 20, 2010 4:31:46 PM ET |
| Also listed in: Alliance for Economic Inclusion | Oakland County Client Services Collaborative | United Way for Southeastern Michigan employees |
There are times, sometimes rarer than we'd like, when we have the privilege to witness our own or someone else’s dream come to life. I had that privilege on Friday morning in Macomb County.
It was the opening of a new client choice pantry. A client choice pantry is one that looks very much like a grocery store, and families that use these types of food pantries have the chance to chose their food, rather than receive a box that is pre-stocked with standard foods. There is little variation or customization in a typical food pantry's box, but a client choice pantry allows for family dietary and cultural variations such as families who prefer rice over potatoes. This particular location is the first client choice pantry in Macomb County.
The journey to this day had been a long one for Minister Chet Decker of the Church of the Nazarene in Warren. Chet and I met nearly a year ago when I was working in both Macomb and Oakland counties. He asked for a meeting to learn about the work of United Way and to determine if there might be a possibility of collaborating on projects in Macomb County. He had specifically indicated his interest in opening a VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) site in south Macomb. In the course of the discussion, he shared the most ambitious dream - to have a building where families could come for food assistance, meet with non-profit agencies to seek further supports like the tax assistance program, housing help or other key services they might not even know about. His vision was to have a "one stop shop" to make it easier for families to meet with and find the help they needed. As we sat there talking in his church, my heart was recognizing his passion and enthusiasm for this broad-based facility, but my brain was actually thinking "Is he kidding? Where is he going to get the building and money?" Luckily, I went with my heart in holding the hope that he had, as we began to build a relationship.
So on Friday, I had the pleasure to attend the opening of the client choice pantry and the "one stop shop" that Chet had envisioned – the Hope Center in Macomb. Chet was able to secure a beautiful, modern building that was modified to support the pantry and numerous non-profits that would be housed there. Through the help of his church, the Church of the Nazarene, the regional authority for the church, WW Community Connections (the non-profit formed to support the dream), and important help from Meijer, Gleaners, and a grant for furniture from the Macomb UW discretionary funds, the building was outfitted to support this important work.
Watching the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, I got choked up. It’s great to be a part of something bigger than yourself, so helping the center to have the furniture it needed felt great. And how wonderful it is to see someone’s dream come true and even more wonderful because it will be the source of so much help to so many in Macomb County. How wonderful to witness it as it begins.
It was the opening of a new client choice pantry. A client choice pantry is one that looks very much like a grocery store, and families that use these types of food pantries have the chance to chose their food, rather than receive a box that is pre-stocked with standard foods. There is little variation or customization in a typical food pantry's box, but a client choice pantry allows for family dietary and cultural variations such as families who prefer rice over potatoes. This particular location is the first client choice pantry in Macomb County.
The journey to this day had been a long one for Minister Chet Decker of the Church of the Nazarene in Warren. Chet and I met nearly a year ago when I was working in both Macomb and Oakland counties. He asked for a meeting to learn about the work of United Way and to determine if there might be a possibility of collaborating on projects in Macomb County. He had specifically indicated his interest in opening a VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) site in south Macomb. In the course of the discussion, he shared the most ambitious dream - to have a building where families could come for food assistance, meet with non-profit agencies to seek further supports like the tax assistance program, housing help or other key services they might not even know about. His vision was to have a "one stop shop" to make it easier for families to meet with and find the help they needed. As we sat there talking in his church, my heart was recognizing his passion and enthusiasm for this broad-based facility, but my brain was actually thinking "Is he kidding? Where is he going to get the building and money?" Luckily, I went with my heart in holding the hope that he had, as we began to build a relationship.
So on Friday, I had the pleasure to attend the opening of the client choice pantry and the "one stop shop" that Chet had envisioned – the Hope Center in Macomb. Chet was able to secure a beautiful, modern building that was modified to support the pantry and numerous non-profits that would be housed there. Through the help of his church, the Church of the Nazarene, the regional authority for the church, WW Community Connections (the non-profit formed to support the dream), and important help from Meijer, Gleaners, and a grant for furniture from the Macomb UW discretionary funds, the building was outfitted to support this important work.
Watching the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, I got choked up. It’s great to be a part of something bigger than yourself, so helping the center to have the furniture it needed felt great. And how wonderful it is to see someone’s dream come true and even more wonderful because it will be the source of so much help to so many in Macomb County. How wonderful to witness it as it begins.
