Our family moved to Franklin 36 years ago when I was a young, stay at home mom with 2 young children. I was forever changed when Sarah McGinley (a very new friend) said to me, “You should deliver Meals on Wheels…it’s a great way to get involved in our church ministries.” I looked back at her like she had 3 heads and said, “I stay home with 2 young children” and she replied, “Take them with you”. And so I did, and we learned so much together about sharing God’s love with our neighbors. In return, their love has been shared back with us over the years.
About 20 years later, my oldest daughter was serving as Philanthropy Chair for her college sorority. She was handing out assignments for their big fundraising event and one young woman said to her, “Why do we have to do this?” And Sara’s reply was gold to me. She said “Didn’t you ever go with your church friends to sing at a nursing home or ever help deliver Meals on Wheels? That’s why we do this.”
I give thanks for Jeneil Westbrook, and the other Church Women of Franklin, who had the vision and compassion to begin cooking and delivering meals to neighbors in our community who were unable to feed themselves. They needed a warm meal, a big smile, and sometimes an interaction with a young child. I give thanks to this church for sustaining this ministry for so many years and several generations. Giving many of us a chance to step out of our comfort zone, and begin to learn how we truly serve our neighbors. My 4 children, who are all veterans of Meals on Wheels delivery, are no longer around to ride with me, but if you would like to give this ministry a try, I would love to have a ride along partner. I’ll even throw in a Happy Meal treat like I did so often for my young helpers. We are blessed with this ministry. Come be a part of it. ~ Janie Luna
MOW is the featured mission this month so stay tuned in the newsletters and on socials to learn more about how God is at work through the Franklin Community Meals on Wheels. If you are interested in serving with MOW, CLICK HERE. If you were not able to make a special gift through the communion offering, you may still do so by mailing a check to the church or giving ONLINE HERE. Be sure to write Meals on Wheels in the memo section on your check, as well as making sure it’s noted in the Special Gift Instructions online.