Where I Went:
SCAT (Special Church Community Action Team) is a ministry of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, OR. The church food bank is open certain days a week, but also asks volunteer teams to deliver food boxes to families without transportation.
Our family makes up a “team” and we’ve committed to delivering for SCAT once a month. To read about our previous experiences, click on:
First Impressions:
School’s out for summer! I wish I could tell you that my kids were joyously willing to be pulled out of the pool for an afternoon of food packing and driving around town. They should each have a servant’s heart by now, right? Hmmm. We still have work to do.
The Job:
When we arrive at the SCAT building, my first order of business is to grab the delivery sheets faxed over from Care to Share, a local social-service organization. I call each household to make sure someone will be home when we deliver. Usually there is no problem, but this time when I called one household’s phone it was the wrong number. A neighbor was listed as a back-up, but when I called that number, there was no answer.
I called Care to Share to verify I had the correct information. I did. The policy states that if no one answers, a delivery isn’t made. I understand the reasoning. If no one was there to accept delivery, who knows how long the food would be left on the doorstep. Still, I felt bad that this family wouldn’t get help with groceries this week.
The girls and I started packing for the other 2 houses on our list that day. This being our 4th time delivering for SCAT, we’ve come up with a system. I’m at the fridges and freezers pulling food, my youngest carries the items to my oldest who then packs the groceries in boxes. What once took an hour to do now takes just 20 minutes.
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| Marking boxes |
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| Heavy”ish” lifting |
The car loaded, we set off to deliver. This is the part that always worries me.
The first time we delivered for SCAT, we drove into some neighborhoods that made me a little uncomfortable. At the time, my husband made the request that I would only deliver if he were there with me.
Just so you know – because of scheduling conflicts, he hasn’t delivered with us since. It’s my idea of God’s sense of humor. Or God allowing me to be more independent. One of those two things, I’m sure.
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| Car full of food |
Nevertheless, deliveries needed to be made. Luckily both destinations were easy to find and I didn’t need to depend on my 12 year old for navigation. As always, I grumbled through the rush hour traffic. And as always, my heart softened when we met the grocery recipients.
This week we delivered to a single woman who spoke very limited English. She didn’t share many words, but her abundant “thank you’s” touched my heart.
Next, we delivered to a family of 5. A boy in his late teens emerged to help carry boxes from our car. A strong kid. The boxes he took two at a time were the ones my own pre-teens could hardly lift. This family, too, shared their gratitude.
The entire SCAT job was completed in less than two hours. I still think about the family I couldn’t contact. I hope they were able to touch base with Care to Share so they can get on next week’s delivery schedule.
How to Help:
If you’d like to deliver for SCAT or fill another need for this volunteer run ministry, you can comment below and I’ll get you directed to the right person. Even a little help can make a big difference!
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