Beautiful Gate mission

We weren’t sure what to expect when we headed out Friday morning, but the kids were full of anticipation and confidence that we’d fill the Pantry! We split into two groups and immediately began collecting bags on Northwood Road and Lafayette Drive! It was like Christmas morning to these children! Each time we saw a bag, the kids raced to get it and add it to the growing collection in the back of our pickup truck! The smiles on their faces were priceless! We could hardly believe the generosity and the awesome response from our own community! One woman on Northwood met us outside as we were collecting and the joy on her face was contagious! She explained to us that she has always wanted to donate to the Food Pantry, but was never quite sure how to do so. She said she was so excited when she saw our note and bag on her porch because we made it easy! She encouraged us to come to her home every time we did such a mission. The kids loved hearing her story! Several children went home after their mission week and asked their parents if they could collect donations in their own neighborhoods. Some have gone on to actually do so.
I write this letter because the response from just the two roads we visited in Lake Monticello was so exciting…to see the children in our county reach out to families here and watch these families respond…was overwhelming. Thank you to those on Northwood and Lafayette who gave…the Food Pantry was more than blessed when we showed up with tons and tons of food for those who need it in our county!