The more you give, the more you get!

Was there ever a time when you were really, really hungry and there was no food for you? Many of us would have a hard time relating to that question. Maybe the food we wanted wasn’t at home and convenient. But food not available at all is hard to imagine. We’d think that if there were no food available, we’d just go to the store and get some – or even call up and have some food delivered. It’s that easy!

What got us thinking about this subject is that we were driving home after a busy day and we said to each other that we were just “starving”. Just starving? No way! We even had some snacks stashed in the back seat. Food is never far away. But there are people who literally have no food – and they are starving. We feel some guilt as we talk about “pigging out” while other people go to bed hungry.

We want everyone to have enough to eat and to be healthy. We enjoy volunteering to pack food to give to people who need it. We realize that by giving, we actually get back so much more than we give. Every year, at Mount Calvary Church in Excelsior, on the second weekend in November, there’s a Many Hands Many Meals Packathon to pack meals for others. Let’s put that date on the calendar for next year to be sure not to miss it.

We talked to Julie Kiefer, a volunteer, who just finished helping with the fifteenth annual Many Hands Many Meals Packathon. We asked Julie how she became so passionate about Many Hands Many Meals. Julie answered, “There are a few reasons. The first reason was my children. They packed at a Packathon and it was amazing to watch the effect on them. They were young and there was only so much they could do but they felt really empowered to help others. So that’s the first thing that got me into Many Hands Many Meals.

Julie continued, “Then from there, I went to Haiti on a mission trip and witnessed the children who actually received the meals.” We commented that it had to be amazing to see. Julie put her hand on her heart and said, “It just ‘gets you’ here. It became my mission to make sure that we are able to help them until they could help themselves. Now they’ve got enough programs together on the ground there. They have an agricultural program. They have chickens. They have things there where they can help themselves. At the time they really needed our help because they really didn’t have those programs in place and they just needed food. It was wonderful to be able to go there, help them, make a difference, and see that difference.”

“Now I think it (the food) is going to Malawi (Africa) and other places in the world that need the help. It just fulfills me!” We are so grateful to Julie and other volunteers who were able to pack approximately 267,000 meals! Congratulations! What a difference you make in the world!

We could see that for Julie her volunteering gave her a sense of purpose. Along with purpose, there are more benefits you get when you give. The Mayo Clinic adds that volunteering lowers stress, blood pressure and depression. The organization for National and Community Service states, “Perhaps the biggest benefit is the satisfaction people feel when they are making a difference and how it transforms others’ lives and their lives.” The London School of management called it the “Happiness Effect” because they found that people who give by volunteering are happier. If we need more incentive to volunteer, other studies show volunteers are more socially active, meet new friends and live longer! Plus, we know volunteering can be lots of fun!

What about you? In what ways would you like to give back?

Some ideas: There are many ways to give of your time, talents or treasures so you can decide what fits for you. If you want to pack meals, Feed My Starving Children in Chanhassen offers two-hour shifts and it’s fun to do as a group activity. Their website is www.FMSC.org. Don’t let financial or physical limitations keep you from giving. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Giving can be sharing kindness, a smile, a listening ear or praying for someone. Givers always say the more they give, the more they receive and we hope you’ll feel that way, too.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2019 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.