More Than Words: Stories of Hope by Diana Palmer, Catherine Mann, Kasey Michaels Read Free Book Online

women’s mission. That opened my eyes to a whole world that I’d never seen. When I got involved trying to better the situation of other people in trouble, my own life changed and I found a purpose I didn’t know I had. I became useful.”
    Mary grinned. “That’s what I’m trying to become. And so far, so good!” She glanced at Mr. Harlowe. “I’ve just found a willing volunteer to help me parcel up and pass out food.”
    Bev’s eyebrows lifted. “You, Sam?”
    He nodded. “I do think I’ve just become useful, myself,” he said with a chuckle. “I can’t lift a lot of heavy things,” he added hesitantly. “I had a back injury from service in Vietnam, and it left me unable to do a lot of lifting.”
    “The food parcels the children and I have been making up aren’t heavy at all,” Mary was quick to point out. “We try to make sure we have bread, vegetables, fruit and meat in each one. And dessert, too. But that was only from the one restaurant. With the four new ones added, we can make up larger ones.”
    “You’ll need containers,” Bev said. “I know a woman at oneof the dollar stores who’s a good citizen. She contributes paper plates and cups to our shelter, and if you go and see her, I’ll bet she’d contribute those plastic containers for your project.”
    Mary, who’d been buying such things herself, was surprised and delighted at the suggestion.
    Bev had a pen and paper. “Here. I’ll write down her name and address for you. And I’ll see if I can find you one more volunteer with a car and some free time.”
    “That’s great!” Mary exclaimed.
    “You borrowed a car, didn’t you?” Bev asked. “Does the person who loaned it mind if you use it for this?”
    That was something Mary hadn’t asked about. She bit her lower lip. “I don’t know,” she confessed. “I’ll have to go and see her and ask if it’s all right.”
    “That may not be necessary. We have a patron who has an old truck that he’s offered to donate to us,” Bev volunteered. “I’ll ask him if he’s still willing to do that. You might talk to one of the independent gas stations and see if they’d donate gas.”
    “Bev, you’re a wonder!” Mary exclaimed.
    “I’ve learned the ropes,” Bev said simply, “and learned how to get people to follow their most generous instincts. After you’ve been in the business for a while, you’ll be able to do that, too.”
    “I never knew how many people went to bed hungry in this country,” Mary commented. “I’ve learned a lot in a few days.”
    “Welcome to the real world.”
    Sam sighed. “Well, then, when do we begin?”
    “Tonight,” Mary said enthusiastically.
    “Wait just a minute,” Bev said, and went to the phone. “I want to see if I can get in touch with our patron before you go.”
    Amazingly she did, and he promised to have the truck at the shelter promptly at 6:00 p.m. that evening.
    “Thanks a million, Bev,” Mary said.
    “We’re all working toward the same goal,” Bev reminded her. “Go see that guy about the gas, okay?”
    “I’ll do it on my way back to the motel.”
    Mary stopped by the gas station, introduced herself, mentioned Bev, and outlined her new project. “I know it’s a lot to ask,” she said, “and if you don’t want to do this, it’s okay. I’ve been paying for the gas myself…”
    “Hey, it doesn’t hurt me to donate a little gas to a good cause,” he told Mary with a chuckle. “You bring your truck by here before you start out tonight, and I’ll fill it up for you. We’ll set up a schedule. If I’m not here, I’ll make sure my employees know what to do.”
    “Thanks so much,” Mary told him.
    He shrugged. “Anybody can end up homeless,” he commented, “through no fault of his or her own. It’s the times we live in.”
    “I couldn’t agree more!”
     
    Mary told the children what was going on, and how much work it was going to be. “But we do have a volunteer who’s going to help us