From Food Outreach: Richard's Story
Ever experienced 'friendship-love' for someone you just met?
Something about their warmth and openness invites you in like a comfy blanket.
That’s how it is with Richard. Gentle, soft-spoken, grand-fatherly.
At 68, he found himself homeless in rehab.
His situation felt hopeless after the real-life dominos had fallen in the wake of his addiction that gripped him for decades.
I first met Richard as a recovery counseling client. He was working on daily sobriety while living at Paramount Recovery House, just two doors down from Greenhouse Project headquarters.
It's very hard to rebuild life after addiction, especially at a mature age like 68.
Imagine the very basics – think, pure survival – like money. Food. Shelter. Obtaining proof of ID, an address to put on a job application, insurance. A job search with a possible criminal record. Transportation to do all those things.
Richard really wanted to stay in our community and experience life transformation.
After several months, it felt like a family to him.
“When I came off the street I had no money. No food. Nothing...
It took two months to get food stamps and health insurance. But I was able to eat in that time because of Greenhouse Project’s food outreach."
Not only did Richard receive our food to keep him going, but most importantly, he heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ every week.
“I'm so grateful for Greenhouse Project's support, I was inspired to volunteer and help other people like me.”
What Richard responded to in our community family is the transformative love of Jesus and the joys of service to others. The support he received unlocked a desire to help the next person.
This is the power of the gospel. This is why we’re here!!
It’s been a full year of Ricard volunteering.
His only income is social security.
Access to a food outreach like ours is a lifeline.
The weekly food he receives helps Richard afford other essentials: housing, medicine, basic supplies.
He may not have much, but we know faith in Jesus is the core of all goodness in Richard's life.
Thanks for tracking with stories like these – we have many more to share!
Just 10 more days of Feed the Faith!
With < 50% to our goal and 10 more days to give, we need all hands to help support neighbors like Richard with access to weekly food and Jesus-filled community.
Will you consider giving today?
$1,400 sponsors two weeks of food outreach
$700 sponsors one week
$325 covers driving, truck rental, and fuel for a week
$125 provides one week of truck rental and fuel
$50 provides 185 meals (Just 27 cents/meal of 1.2 lbs of food!)