"There are many reasons why people may need assistance at one time or another. In fact, most people would just like some assistance, not to be cared for. Helping during the MLK Day of Service this year lead me to remember a time when I too needed assistance. It has been almost eleven years since Hurricane Floyd destroyed parts of Eastern North Carolina. My daughter and I had only been in Rocky Mount for just over a month when it Floyd struck the area. The devastation left was quite remarkable. People would ask what we needed, but for some reason could not understand the one simple word I would say…. “Everything”.
I was a full-time student and single mother, dealing with a chronic illness and the word everything included simple everyday items, such as food. We received some assistance, but it was often a lengthy wait and many times not enough. After the hurricane, my daughter had to attend a new school, where she was identified as a child affected/displaced by the hurricane and made privy to an amazing ministry at her school. This school had its very own pantry, from which it helped its needy students. They blessed us with much needed food, during a time when I was not sure how we were going to eat for the next month.
Volunteering at the Food Shuttle's MLK Day of Service as I helped place food in those BackPacks, I was reminded of a time I had forgotten from the Hurricane. Tears formed in my eyes, and my heart was lightened and enlightened. It was very rewarding to know that I was a part of something so grand."