LOVE IN ACTION

This past Spring we made much needed repairs to our steeple and to the roof around it. We worked with two different work crews and a number of weather delays but in the end, the project was completed perfectly. As we wrapped up the budget at the end of the year, I realized that although we had received an estimate from one of the contractors, and the work was completed, we had never received a bill. I reached out to the contractor's office and was shuffled from one person to another with no one able to provide an invoice. I finally called the owner’s cell phone and left a message. I may have been a little frustrated by this point. The next day I heard back. On a few occasions, the owner and I had stood in the courtyard waiting for the crews to change or to enter the Sanctuary and we shared small talk as we watched the guests come in for Meals with Meaning. We talked about the number of guests, the days we were open and so on, but as we talked about numbers, we watched the expressions on the faces who passed by. We watched eyes smiling with welcome from our volunteers, we watched eyes shine with gratitude (and perhaps with a little more hope as our guests left), we listened as friends - both guests and volunteers - warmly greeted one another. That day, when the owner returned my call he said that there was no charge for the work, “How could I ?” he asked, followed by “Use the money for the work you are doing!” “Have a blessed day!”

-Michael Koppenal, Parish Administrator