Bridge-Builder-Que

A hug, a smile and a "Thank you, this was so nice of you," was there reaction of one of our clients on Monday, as she munched on her juicy hamburger and potato salad. It looked like an old fashioned bar-b-que in our parking lot as folks arrived for their weekly checks and found a group of people from Olive Drive Church, who do bar-b-ques as a ministry to others who need that gift of food or fellowship, cooking hamburgers along with all the nice veggie fixings that make them yummy. This was another one of those blessings that Kelly mentioned that came from the Bakersfield Californian article last week."The Growling Dogs" is the colorful name this ministry group has chosen for themselves, and when we tried to thank them for coming and feeding our clients, they just said quietly, "This is what we should be doing - so thank you!" About 200 people walked through the serving line with Bev Allen, our Board of Director's Chairperson, and Gerry Goodman, Executive Director, and Frank Jones, who is also a Board member, serving up the hamburgers, salad and chips along with a drink. We noticed that the good cooking smells wafted into the office so that even the staff found time to leave their desks and enjoy the feast. The Native Americans and the Pilgrims on that first Thanksgiving may have had more exotic fare - but they couldn't have enjoyed it anymore than our group did this week. Thanks, "Growling Dogs," Olive Drive Church, and Pastor Paul Giesbrecht for the gift of hospitality and nourishment.