Not Just A Donut

BY SHERRI BARNETT

It was Friday. The Grateful Bread Food Pantry was closed that day, but a family resource officer from one of the schools called. There was an emergency: they had a family that was out of food. As we were loading their vehicle, another car pulled up and just sat there. I went to see if they needed something.

It was a young couple with three children in the backseat. They asked if the pantry was open. I told them we were closed but would be open again on Tuesday. They glanced at each other and softly said OK. I couldn’t take my eyes off the children in the backseat so I asked the parents if the family needed food.

They looked at each other again and said that they would be OK, but when I glanced back to the children again, a little girl with big brown eyes was shaking her head yes to my question. I said we could give them an emergency box and that they could come back on Tuesday to get their regular pantry food box.

While they waited for us to pack the emergency food, I gathered some snacks and donuts for the children. By the time we returned with the food, the children were already eating the donuts.

The brown-eyed girl rolled down the backdoor window and asked if she could see my face. I stepped away from the vehicle and lowered my mask and smiled. She said, “I like you.” Then offered me a bite of her donut.

Think of that. A child who didn’t have enough food herself was offering to share what she had with someone else. That was such a beautiful blessing to me, and I am grateful every day that the pantry exists.