Update October 8, 2012: You may begin delivering your stock pots, rice and veggies at The Church at Schilling Farms, 1035 Winchester Road, Collierville, TN anytime the 2nd week of November through the 2nd week of December (November 11 through December 12). Don’t worry, your produce will not go old, we make regular visits to our clients and will deliver your items immediately upon your delivery to us.

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There is a story going around about an organization that had a heart to help feed a large number of Indonesian people after the devestating Tsunami in December 2004. After collecting a large number of bags of rice they dropped the rice out of airplanes over several villages of hungry people. Women, men and children hurriedly scurried around collecting the rice. They ate the rice. Later, many of these villagers began having digestive problems and terrible belly aches. It was discovered that the hungry Indonesian people had eaten the rice raw. They had no pots to cook the rice in! Sadly, a really sweet and helpful thing ended up hurting a little more than it helped.

We try our best to look at things from a ground level perspective. Often times we can understand better a refugees needs or circumstance if we take the time to get to know them by spending time with them in their homes. (We have also been able to build some sweet friendships.) This holiday season, we want to offer our refugee friends a little help in providing their families with some of their favorite foods (rice, pasta and dried beans). We WILL also, however, provide for them pots to cook the rice in as we continue our friendly and encouraging relationship.

Here are more details on how you can help: This Thanksgiving and Christmas we are collecting Stock Pots for refugee families and want to fill them with some of the common foods they eat and enjoy. Some of these foods are rice, pasta, dried beans, hot sauces, whole carrots, cabbage, celery, corn, potatoes and onions. Most refugee women cook large meals for their large families and friends and these items will surely help them out. Kroger or Aldi gift cards are also welcome.

Please begin collecting these items today; we are trying to deliver these to about 50-60 families in need. You may deliver your stock pots to my or Deborah’s home if you know us well enough to know our address or feel free to drop them off in the lobby of our home church, The Church at Schilling Farms, 1035 Winchester Road, Collierville, TN. You’ll see our Asha’s Refuge table in the lobby.