On a bright sunny morning, we served eighty five hungry ladies at the Annual Spring Brunch. As always the room in Banks Township Hall looked beautiful--round tables, covered with white table clothes and beautiful china set by friends of the center and pretty centerpieces (made by Roger Cutting of Central Lake). Our Special Events Team worked feverishly to make this a memorable morning. It was tasty and fun and informative. Multitalented Dana Falls from Traverse City provided beautiful piano music and singing with her lovely voice. We are grateful for the help of four Ellsworth High School girls who served our guests-Emily Blaney, Michaela Cunningham, Haley Drenth and Emily Piellusch. It is a day when we say thank you to so many ladies who have helped the center in so many ways and keep them abreast of all the new happenings at the center. The centerpieces and a pretty basket of spring gardening gifts were given away as prizes. Some of our guests toured the new building after the brunch. If you couldn’t make it this year, be sure not to miss it next year--the last Wednesday in April.

Old Man Winter has made life very difficult for many struggling families this year. With so many people out of work, or working reduced hours, it has been hard to keep up financially, then adding the expenses snow and bring has made it that much harder. When people get desperate, they do desperate things to stay warm. Sometimes people heat with space heaters, by leaving their ovens on and open, or other ways. One senior lady told me she shut all the rooms off except her kitchen, she had moved her mattress to the kitchen floor, and was heating with her oven. I think I worry most about the young children and the senior citizens. Sometimes families split apart, going where someone will take them in. People call here for help, and I’m thankful when we have the funds available to help them. Usually they start with, “I’ve tried everyone else,” or “you’re my last hope.” Our ability to help entirely depends on donations that come in to help our neighbors in need. It is a tough winter. Please keep “our families” in your prayers!

"We are starving." Those words struck me. For 20 years I've been serving the hungry and struggling families that come to the Good Samaritan Food Pantry for help. I have talked to many moms the come to us to help feed their children. I've met with senior citizens that are worried as they face rising utility and medicine costs. I have been with laid off dads as they desperately explain to me how embarrassed they are that they can't put food on the table for their families. I often take faces and conversations home with me, but the words, "we are starving" written by a mom with two young children really hits home. In this land of plenty, actually excess, it is hard to remember or even notice that so many of our neighbors are hungry. We don’t even think that that family down the block may be without electricity. Maybe those kids that look like they skipped their bath are living in a home without water. As we speed through our day we might not stop to think about the little lady at church that might be skipping her medications to be able to have heat. Sometimes the heaviness and the realities of people’s day to day lives strikes us, and we realize just a little bit of what they are going through.