Sometimes you get a front-row seat to what happens when community becomes community.
This morning I posted about a young Lawrence family whose heat had been shut off. Mom works full-time plus part-time jobs, Dad just graduated from college and is home with their kids, and they had been cold for days. Vintage Church had already stepped up with a $500 match toward our $1,100 goal.
I posted it as I was walking into church at Vintage. I stopped out front to record a quick video, then walked up the stairs. At the top I was greeted by a woman I recognized but didn’t know well. She had seen me recording, so I shared with her why I was doing it. She asked where it was posted. “On our Facebook,” I said, and went in to church.
About ten minutes into the service I checked to make sure my videos had uploaded. There was a comment that said, “That was quick.” I was confused, so I checked my email. Someone named Sarah (not her real name) had given the entire $600 within three minutes of the post going up.
During a break in the service I found the woman from the stairs and asked, “Are you Sarah?” She smiled and said yes. I was so overwhelmed I had to step outside and record another video just to say thank you.
Between Sarah’s gift and Vintage’s match, the full $1,100 is covered. In one morning.
I got to text the family with the good news right away. They were so grateful. They also shared how hard the last 24 hours had been. Their family dog of 14 years passed away. And her brother was hit by a driver who didn’t stop while he was riding his moped, and he is now in the ICU.
I told them how thankful I am that we could bring some good news in the middle of so much heartbreak, and that we will get the bill paid in full as soon as possible so they can get their heat back on.
Would you join me in something? Please take a moment to offer a prayer, a hope, or a word of encouragement for this family. Pray for healing for her brother, for answers, and for strength for all of them as they carry so much at once.
This is why HRC exists. Our role is to connect the dots. A family needed help. A church said yes. A neighbor at the top of the stairs said yes. When those pieces come together, a family stays warm, stays housed, and stays together.
Nobody could have done it alone. Together, we did it in three minutes.
We are grateful for this community every single day. We need each other. And I’m so grateful we get moments like this to see the beauty of people showing up for people.
Thank you, Sarah. Thank you, Vintage. Thank you to everyone who shared.