We just got this note in from our Tennessee location and thought you would like to have a look at it. 

Dearest Bread of Life family,

We want to thank you so very much for all the hard work you do on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Tennessee. We wish you could be here to see the results of your efforts. We pray that God will bless you as richly as you have blessed these people. What you do for the least of these you do for Christ and we have a great deal of “the least of these”. This county was at 14% unemployment before they laid off 70% of the workers from one plant, 55% from another and closed the third and last one this month. Eighty-five (85%) percent live below the poverty level and that includes a great deal of old people and families with small children.

The gratitude and appreciation these people express is overwhelming. If we had a nickel for every tear of hope (both theirs and ours) we would be wealthy. This is the only food pantry within five counties and we are servicing well over 1000 people each month.

We are particularly fond of eight of our old ladies that are brought in every Saturday. They have very little money but of course they get everything they need. Their food stamps range from $10 to $14 a month (Isn’t that ridiculous?). They are very proud and refuse to tell people how bad it is for them. The Bread of Life literally stands between them and starvation.

We had a lady from Ohio stay over an extra day on her visit to come and personally say thank you for helping her aunt and mother. We get “thank you” many times a day, every day. We ask all of our people to pray for abundance for the Bread of Life and for blessings for all of you. They love to do this and feel like they are helping and contributing. We pray you are receiving all the blessings they are sending your way.

We had a grandmother come in just as we were closing one Friday and told us the Child Services were bringing her three grandchildren to live with her that afternoon. She had no money and a half of a box of oatmeal in her kitchen. The food stamp office could not help her until the following week and suggested she come to us. We were able to help with the immediate need and have been able to fill in the gaps with food, clothes, emotional and spiritual support. Again, this is all because of your generosity.

One little boy, about 11 years old, said he loved the Bread of Life. We always give him a piece of candy or gum when he comes in and assumed that was the reason for his enthusiasm but he informed us that before we came he ate grits for dinner most nights. And while his mother cooked really good grits, it was great having something to go with them. He really loved macaroni and cheese. Thanks to you, he and his little brother got Christmas gifts and had Christmas dinner that did not include the infamous grits.

Speaking of Christmas gifts, we have another family with seven small children and both parents have been laid off work. Unfortunately, with this economy, it does not look promising that they will be hired back anytime soon. There are empty stores everywhere, even Burger King closed as did the Rite Aid Pharmacy. Almost all independent restaurants are gone and there are no car dealers left. People here are fearful and feeling hopeless. The Bread of Life is a ray of light and hope and gives us a great opportunity to witness for our Lord. And this is all thanks to the hard work you do to provide for these people in such desperate need.

We have experienced what we thought were tough times but have never had to put our children to bed hungry. We have never watched our children shiver because we had no heat and could not pay the electric bill. This makes it all the more wonderful to be able to put a coat and shoes on a child that has none. We had one lady walk seven miles to get to us as she had no transportation. We took her home with food she could cook on an outside fire as she had no electric or water. We have felt sorry for ourselves for some of what we have gone through until we see what others are dealing with. It is humbling, to say the least, to realize how blessed we are in always having our basic needs met. And at the same time, it is exhilarating to see what God is doing in so many lives.

May God bless you as richly as you deserve,

Your brothers and sisters in Christ