Metro Relief Bus to Unity Park

What an awesome day we had!   I really enjoy our Wednesday's at Metro, the relationship with the people we volunteer with, the people we serve, the sense of helping.  But today we ventured outside of my comfort zones to Unity Park in Fort Worth to serve soup, bread, cookies and hot cocoa to the homeless.  

Abigail has been wanting to go for a long time I have hesitated because she was only twelve, and honestly I wasn't sure what to expect.  With her recent birthday, this was the first opportunity to head out on the Metro bus. 

We started our day with our usual 8:30am Friday pick up at Tom Thumb, who donates their day-old bakery items to Metro.  These cookies and rolls were served to hungry souls three hours later!  At Metro, volunteers prepared soup with rice, beans, seasoned hamburger meat and veggies.  Other volunteers mixed up hot cocoa.  The kids and I gathered supplies and helped load the bus.

By 11am the bus was loaded with food, toiletries, socks, and blankets.  Because school is still out for Christmas break we had 23 volunteers, which was incredible because most of them were teens!  

When we arrived at the park, the bus was opened up.  Abigail and Christina hoped in the pit to serve food, other volunteers dished up food to be served.  Some volunteers worked out of the front of the bus praying and handing out blankets and socks.  Caleb and other teens walked with Austin around the neighborhood making sure people knew the bus was serving food.  

I hung out and mingled making small talk, and by small talk I mean listened to stories from a man whose apartment caught on fire last week leaving him homeless.  There was also a girl who was 24 who shared her life story about her mom, upon finding out her step-dad was molesting her, shot and killed her step-dad.  Now her only father figure is deceased, her mom is in prison and she is homeless.  

It was an amazing day.  All the things that seemed so important on the bus ride to the park: school work, house cleaning, bills, car problems; were not what I was thinking about on the way home.  On the way home I was so grateful for healthy kids, a home, transportation and meals.  I also felt very humbled that a few had opened up and shared their stories with me, and honored to take their petitions to the Lord. 

Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God.
Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. I Kings 8:28