For the past few years our family has volunteered to wrap presents and fill food boxes for an organization.  This year was no different.  Yesterday we showed up to wrap presents.  Lona took the wrapped presents and put them in a pile.  Each present had a name and a family number.  Then the boys took the presents and matched the family number to taped numbers on the floor.  When all the presents were wrapped and sorted then they were placed in large plastic bags with the family number on them.  Some one complied the list of families.  Called the families to see who and how many people were in their family and what each person wanted and the sizes they wear.  Then another group of people donated the items or went shopping.  Still another person purchased and assembled 70 bikes, pumped up the tires, and made sure each bike had a helmet.  This is a large scale effort.  Then someone contacted a grocery store and bought cases and cases of food, toiletries, and laundry cleaners.  Then the food had to be delivered and unloaded.  Next the boxes needed to be assembled and labels and placed out.  Emails were sent out and volunteers were needed to place the food in the boxes.  Each family was allocated 5 large boxes.  When the volunteers showed up they choose a pallet of food.  On the pallets were listed how much of that item were to be placed in each family box.  After the food was sorted then each box had to have someone go through it and redistribute the food so that the light items were not squashed by the heavy items or that one side of the box wasn't heavier than the other, or even so that someone could lift the boxes.  Too many canned goods in one box becomes too heavy to lift.  Next, each bag of presents had to be placed with the correct family boxes.  The last part of the operation is to deliver everything.  People volunteer their trucks, show up early in the morning and load the presents, bikes, and boxes of food.  They then grab eggs, bread and turkeys for each family they deliver to.   We feel so blessed to be a part of this organization.  This year we are serving 266 families.  Last year a gentleman called 5 different places trying to get a hold of the organization so he could say thank you.  You see we don't just send food but also toothpaste, laundry detergent, deoderant, and dish soap among other things.  This gentlemen hadn't had toothpaste for 3 months.  He was so excited about receiving things he considered a luxury that we take for granted.  Another woman called because the paramedics wanted her to go to the hospital but she couldn't miss her delivery.  She couldn't make it through the winter without it.  These are the stories that make these volunteers want to put this time and effort into this.  It isn't please bring some cans from home and we'll provide a meal to 10 families.  It's we'll provide staples for a few weeks or longer.  I feel blessed beyond belief and hope to be able to be a blessing to others.  I want my children to see that we need to think of others and to "serve one another". I'm not sure but there may have been a time when as a child we were on the receiving end of help.  This is a way to give back and teach.