"Transforming People & Communities from the Inside Out."
Events
Behind the Scenes Tour
Monday, September 13, 2010
Annual Benefit 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
BUILD Program
Thursday, September 16, 2010
published April 19, 2010
Food Program Is Life Giving – For All
Ellen Monkemeier
Breakthrough Fresh Market
Volunteering with Breakthrough’s Fresh Market has forever changed Ellen’s life. Ellen, a senior at Wheaton College, has been a volunteer with the program since its Grand Opening last year. She and other volunteers perform operational tasks that make the dynamic food assistance program a success by providing guests with real grocery store experience.
“I’ve come to realize that poverty is a complicated issue, wrapped up in a mess of broken social systems," says Ellen. "I’ve also begun to understand that the hungry we serve cannot be stereotyped. They represent all ages, relationship statuses and family sizes. And they each have a unique story that is worth hearing.”
Ellen’s service has impacted her worship, too. “My time spent at Breakthrough has exposed me to a life radically different from my background and the typical experience of a college student in the suburbs,” Ellen reflected. “Because of this diversity in my new relationships, I get to see and worship aspects of God that I otherwise would not have known. Having friends of different ages, races and backgrounds is incredibly important to my spiritual growth. I’m convinced of that.”
At the Grand Opening of the Fresh Market, Ellen met an elderly woman from the community named Peaches. Peaches began dropping by every market day just to say hi. “As our relationship grew, I asked if there was any other way I could help her out personally–grocery shopping, cleaning her apartment, driving her to doctor’s appointments. Looking annoyed, she interrupted me and said, ‘Just come over and sit with me!’ Now, every time I volunteer, I drop by Peaches’ after the market to just sit and spend time with her.”
Ellen says she is constantly humbled by the experience of helping others conquer their entrapment in poverty. “It is easy to get discouraged, but that’s why combating poverty as a community is so important,” she says. "The true joy and encouragement I experience as a Fresh Market volunteer are life-giving.”