Why Ruby’s Pantry? Because it’s expensive buying food in Cook County. Because it’s foolish to waste perfectly good food. Because we would be good for us to know each other better. Ruby’s Pantry’s purpose is to stretch food dollars, lessen food waste and build neighborliness.
And because God calls us to say “yes.” When we say “yes” to God, the divine enters and changes the story. At our first two Ruby’s Pantry distributions I looked around and thought, “This is what happens when we say ‘yes’.”
To become a Ruby’s Pantry site, there must be a sponsoring church. When we at Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church heard about Ruby’s Pantry—its methods and its aims, we said, “We can say yes to this! This is the kind of thing God wants us to do!” And so we signed on Ruby’s Pantry.
“Yes,” we said. We are a small congregation, but our “yes” was echoed by many other “yeses”—including School District 166 for use of the school, individuals and local organizations donating start up items, and especially the amazing 120 volunteers who have signed up.
Our collective “yeses” haven’t removed the hard work. Or hiccups—picture a huge pallet of potatoes stuck in a doorway!
Our “yeses” help stretch food dollars. Ruby’s Pantry works through surplus donated food brought to a warehouse in North Branch and then trucked to various rural sites for monthly distributions. Guests give a $20 donation and receive an abundance of food.
Our “yeses” help us steward food resources. Some Ruby’s Pantry food is beyond its “best by” date, which prevents it moving through traditional food distribution channels, but it’s still perfectly good for human consumption. This food is for anyone who eats: most volunteers get food shares.
Our “yeses” build neighborliness. Volunteers get to know each other as they help unload the truck, sort shares, register guests, distribute shares, serve refreshments, provide activities for kids, aid with parking, do “carry out” to cars, clean up, etc. Core members work together to improve the experience for all, looking, for example, at ways to speed up the distribution.
And in months to come, our “yeses” will provide a small fund for outreach in Cook County. Of each $20 donation, $18 goes to cover warehouse, trucking and administrative costs, with the other two dollars staying in the area. So far it’s been used (along with some start up donations) to cover distribution expenses like carts, hairnets, cleaning supplies, freezer blankets, etc. Some will go to School District 166 for building use, but eventually a core group will decide how to use this money to address other community needs.
Why Ruby’s Pantry?
Because feeding people, stewardship of resources, and neighborliness are things God cares about.
Jesus shows us this. Before he feeds the five thousand he asks his disciples to help by seating people in groups (neighborliness), feeding them (stretching food dollars), and then gathering up leftovers (stewardship of food resources).
Our spiritual lives and our physical lives cannot be separated. When I first became a Christian I was reading Matthew’s gospel and came to chapter 25. Jesus describes the final judgment when he is sitting on his throne separating those who will go to glory from those who will go to hell. At the time, I knew what saved a person— accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, like I had. I was stunned to see that Jesus hadn’t been told this: Christ seemed to think feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, etc. was what would get you into heaven! I literally couldn’t understand how Jesus could be so “social gospel”!
And although I still think knowing Jesus is crucial, I believe it must be expressed. When people say, “Lord when did I see you hungry and feed you?” he answers “whenever you did it to the least of these, you do it to me.”
God invites us into abundance mode—open up and who knows what might happen? Say yes, even a tiny yes and the whole story may change. We didn’t know exactly what we were saying “yes” to. We took a leap of faith, hoping to make things better for many in Cook County.
Come join us at Ruby’s Pantry on July 14 at Cook County High School. Say “yes” by picking up a share. Or by volunteering. Yes.
P.S. Contact Barb at lbspaulding@boreal.org to volunteer.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month’s contributor is Mary Ellen Ashcroft, Vicar of Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church.
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