You don’t walk alone during times of trouble.
At Care and Share, our mission is to serve qualifying residents of Erie County fairly and with dignity in providing emergency and supplemental food, clothing, linens, and housewares as available. We are here to help our neighbors and friends in need ~ it’s amazing how much God is at work throughout Care and Share!
Below are some “Footprints in the Sand” describing times when we’ve been able to make a difference ~ big and small ~ in some of our neighbors’ and friends’ lives. These are the stories that you may never get to hear when making a donation or supporting our organization.
A gentleman came in with a cash donation and stopped in my office to talk for a bit. He said, “Do you have anyone that needs a stove, it’s a glass top, stainless steel stove that I do not need.” I told him I would take his information down and now that he put that out to God and the universe, I would most likely get a call from someone in need. NOT 20 MINUTES LATER…. I received that call and put them in touch with one another.
A young couple was in my office asking if Care and Share had a crib, and I said, “Sorry, we don’t carry furniture anymore.” The phone rings, I answer ~ on the other end is a gentleman who had a crib he was looking to give away. WITHIN 15 MINUTES, he was down here with the crib loading it into the young couple’s vehicle. ~ Side note: Care and Share cannot accept cribs anymore, so it is very hard for people to get help with these items.
Just last week, a friend stopped by and said he had a really nice washer and dryer available, as they were downsizing to a smaller place. I connected him with one of our clients that indicated weeks ago that she needed a washer and dryer because she just lost her son and was taking care of his 6 kids now.
A lady called with an electric hospital bed (Cancer Services did not need it). Care and Share was able to get this bed to one of our very own volunteers and it has made a substantial difference for back pain and improved her sleeping.
Yesterday, I received a call from someone who had a stove they did not need anymore. This morning, there was a message from a past client looking for a stove. And I said “Thank you Jesus, you are working 24×7 aren’t you!!” But when I called the lady back, she needed a gas stove and the one available is electric ~ devil is in the details!
