I am a Case Worker for PATH.  One afternoon a mother came into my office.  Her seven year old daughter was with her.  We were rather busy that day and I did not pay much attention to the little girl.  

 

I did notice that she was rather ‘fidgety’.  Her mother quietly told her several times to be still that they would be going very soon. I didn’t think much of it; I’m a mother and a grandmother.  This little girl was well-behaved, not making any noise or bothering anything.  She was just obviously anxious to go.

 

I finished asking the necessary questions and completed the food voucher.  I looked up and reached out to give the voucher to the mother.  It was as if the little girl had been waiting the whole time for just this moment.  She leaned across the desk, looked directly at me, smiled, ever so sweetly, and with excitement in her voice, asked, “How much food are you going to give us?”    

 

At that moment, her eyes met my eyes. 

 

I leaned across the desk and looking directly into her eyes. I smiled and said:

             

             We are going to give you enough food so that you

             will be completely full.  And, if you run out of food 

             and you are hungry, you can come back here and

             we will give you more food.  Because, we don’t 

             want any sweet little girl like you to ever be hungry.” 

 

She smiled at me and said, “thank you.”   That thank you, still, tugs at my heart.

 

As they left the office, I realized something.  I have never heard any of my children

 or grandchildren ask, “How much food are you going to give us?”  

 

Often, I’ve heard children ask, “What do we have to eat?”  

But never have I heard, “How much food are we going to have?”

 

It was a busy day, other people were waiting, and I brushed away the tears, thanked God 

for the opportunity to serve, got the next file and brought in the next person.  

 

Clients that come to PATH often tell us they are blessed.  But, at the end of the day,

 I know that I am the one that is blessed because I have the privilege of being a PATH volunteer.

 

 

Prissy Grace