photo courtesy of Trinity Fellowship Church

Easing Burdens

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What is the purpose of your ministry?
My husband Kyle, my best friend Betty Atkinson and I distribute approximately 200 sack lunches to the homeless population in downtown Amarillo every Sunday. Individuals from three different churches provide lunches. We reach out to them with no requirements or stipulations. We give food unconditionally and want to share the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

How did you get started?
I was at a track meet 17 years ago with my nephews. Since this was the last track meet of the season, we all brought sack lunches. On the way to the playground with them, we saw a man sleeping beneath a tree. My nephew said, “Aunt Cari, look at the bum.” I quickly said, “He’s not a bum, he’s homeless.” I don’t think I had ever used the word homeless before. After we ate, we took our leftover food to him. I told the children to stay away, tiptoed over and left the food. I realized that this was the very prejudice we had taught the children.

What motivated you to get involved with feeding the homeless?
After that encounter, I realized that I wanted to reach out to them and ease their burden if I could. I wanted to reach out and share the love of Jesus. Prior to this event, I was not only disgusted by the homeless, but also taunted them. God had changed my heart.

Tell us about a treasured moment from your volunteer work.
In the winter, someone gave us some gloves to distribute to people in need. They were very inexpensive stretch gloves. When I gave a pair of gloves to a homeless man, he wept. I will never forget that. This inspired us to gather and distribute bags at Christmas that include thermals, gloves, a toboggan, socks and a Bible. We also try to collect coats and blankets as well.

What is your greatest life lesson that you’ve applied to volunteering?
Not to judge. We have all made bad choices in our lives, and it is by the grace of God that I’m where I am today.

What is your favorite thing about what you do?
That people we feed are waiting on us each week. They know that they can depend on us, rain or shine. Another favorite is our annual cookout. One homeless person told me that he appreciated the food, but it was the fellowship that he enjoyed the most. He said that no one had called him by name in over a week. In August at Ellwood Park, we cook about 700 hamburgers with all the trimmings. They can eat all they want until the food is gone. We don’t just serve; we eat with them, play football and spend time with them.

What are a few compelling statistics related to your ministry?
One out of five homeless adults was homeless as a child. By the age of 8 years old, one out of three homeless children has mental a disorder. Mental illness is one of the most prevalent reasons for homelessness, and I see this regularly. I also see many veterans. It is heartbreaking.

In what specific areas do you most need the help of volunteers?
We can always use more lunches. We can also use food donations for the cookout and items for the Christmas bags.

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