For I Was a Stranger
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” These words from Matthew 25 are at the heart of many Salvation Army ministries. This fall, as temperatures fell and Christmas approached, these words were once more put into action by Rev. William Covey with The Salvation Army of Dubois County.
Rev. William had noticed an unfamiliar family going through the dumpster behind the Shared Abundance food pantry and thrift store. When a nearby business asked the police to look into the situation, he intervened and assured the officer that he would help the family with their needs.
After a conversation with the parents, he discovered that they were new in town and struggling to find employment. They couldn't afford enough groceries to feed their two boys and little girl and were resorting to dumpster diving to make ends meet.
As a Service Extension Representative for The Salvation Army, Rev. William was able to guide the family to resources at hand in their new community. He secured clothing and two weeks of groceries from Shared Abundance, but with Christmas coming, knew the family needed something more.
“One of the boys started crying, and his father explained that the last time they’d visited the dumpster they had pulled out some broken toys that had been thrown away,” Rev. William explained. “I told him, ‘Well I can beat that!’ and went inside to look for something with wheels on it.”
Thanks to a statewide toy drive for The Salvation Army hosted by Parlor Doughnuts, Rev. William had a brand-new toy truck for the boy and additional toys to make Christmas merrier for the entire family.
Rev. William still sees the family regularly as they settle in to life in Dubois County. They come to the food pantry every two weeks, but are working toward stability thanks to his guidance and the extra kindness they received on a cold December day.