"BETTER LATE THAN NEVER "

“BETTER LATE THAN NEVER ”

It was the middle of winter, with snow reaching as high as my knee, and it looked like another snow storm was about to hit our small town of Newcastle. My son had just lit the fire and I had started to make a pot of stew for supper when there came a knock at the front door. Who could that be at this hour, I thought. 

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we were on level 5 lockdown and we could not have any visitors according to the government guidelines, so I naturally assumed it may have been a neighbour. When my son opened the door, there stood a scruffy old beggar with a filthy blanket wrapped around him for protection from the harsh weather. My son just stood there, I suppose he was shocked, scared or both to see a stranger in this weather. My son called me to the door as he could barely hear the man’s weak voice. He asked for some food and promised to be on his way. I asked where he was staying and he indicated that he lived under a bridge a few miles from here. With the storm threatening I could not let him sleep outdoors tonight, so I invited him to stay the night. He wanted to shower, as he hadn’t done so in a while and I gave him some warm clothes that belonged to my deceased husband. After he had, had a shower we all sat down infront of the fireplace to have the hot stew. He could not stop thanking me for the meal and the hospitality, I somehow felt a connection to this man. My son was suspicious of him, as was understandable. We had not had any man in our home since the passing of my husband due to covid-19 last winter. My son had decided that he would not leave my side as long as this stranger was in our home. 

That night the three of us sat beside the fire, chatting about how he had become homeless, which we learned was due to him losing his job as a truck driver during the pandemic, and his wife also dying a few months earlier. His children were overseas and could not travel due to the travel restrictions and he lost everything. I could see that my son was touched by his story, and was grateful that despite us losing my husband, we still had a home and food to eat. The pandemic had people in dire need of assistance and we were only awakened to it on the night we got the knock on our window. That night I could not sleep, thinking about all the homeless people who had no food or shelter on this cold winter night. I wrecked my brain wondering what I could do to help, until my son suggested, we could use his dad’s warehouse, which was not in use anymore as a soup kitchen. The idea was brilliant, but I was enveloped in fear, fear about how I would start, where I would get the resources from, and the biggest fear of all, was I capable of doing something of this magnitude. Throughout my life, I had always wanted to do good, be of assistance and make a difference in people’s lives, but my lack of confidence held me back. 

The next morning my son and the stranger (who we established was Peter) sat around the breakfast nook, and we shared ideas of the soup kitchen. The idea excited both of them so much, that they started throwing so many ideas at me that I felt dizzy. Peter said he would help as he was a very “hands on” kind of guy and my son had plenty of experience with carpentry and cooking, both of which he learnt from his dad. 

We cleared out the warehouse and Peter and my son started making tables and benches, installed a kitchen, completed the tiling and made it look welcoming, all of this in under a month.   I started sharing the idea with a few friends, then on social media, before I knew it, I had an army of volunteers, all willing to cook, donate and even wash dishes. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that were willing to help with this project. I realised then that my fears were baseless. All I needed was a resolution to do good and the help came. 

Today, the soup kitchen, serves hot lunches and dinners to over 2000 people a day. Peter and my son have taken on an additional project to expand the warehouse to provide shelter for the homeless. I had to continue my full-time corporate career, which has evolved into an online career, which suites me fine. Now I can supervise the soup kitchen while having zoom meetings during the course of the day. There is no greater satisfaction than being able to feed a hungry man or provide a bed in the middle of winter. The blessings that come my way are much greater than praying 24 hours a day. It brings tears to my eyes, every time an old widow shares her story of being abandoned by her children or an ex army officer not being able to survive on his pension. There is a need in every corner of our world, and it’s not always about providing money, some people just need a friendly smile, or someone to share a cup of tea with. I cannot believe that I let my fear hold me back all those years from doing good in the world, but hey “better late than never”. If it had not been for that knock on my window from Peter, I would still be sitting comfortably in my house, oblivious to the needs of our community and most importantly losing out on those blessings that I receive everyday from thousands of grateful people. I believe that I have been put on this earth to serve humanity and there is nothing I would rather be doing with this life of mine. Everyday , we are reminded of all the suffering in the world, wouldn't it be nicer if we could change that?