The Story Behind the Cereal

A few weeks ago I was sitting at work when we received a phone call from a local news station. A story had not panned out and they wanted to know if they could do a story on our food pantry. We all did a little happy dance, a big happy dance, and said YES!

Happy Dance!

Why the happy dance? Well, if you happened to catch the story you would have heard that our pantry has been in a bit of trouble.


School was about to begin. Lunches needed to be packed. Budgets were stretched due to the increased cost of school supplies and to top it all off we were running out of food in many of the categories we offer. We had no breakfast items left on the shelf. Items like macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and fruit were quickly becoming depleted. As staff we were cutting back on how much food we were giving out and discussing options for our quickly diminishing pantry. Enter the phone call and subsequently the happy dance!


Once the story ran, and awareness spread, our community began to respond. Cereal showed up at our door, as well as, supplies of peanut butter, jelly, and much more. Two separate businesses even went shopping to help us stock our shelves. We were all touched by the generosity of the community, but it took a special donation for us to really understand the impact of stocked shelves.

One afternoon, after a particularly busy day, an elderly gentleman walked into our lobby. He said he had some cereal to donate and would like some help bringing it into the building. There were two of us still at work so we grabbed a cart from the backroom and headed out to lend a hand. The man had quite a few bags in the back of the car and as he handed them to us we loaded up the cart. We thanked him for his generosity and let him know just how much it meant to us that he was willing to help others in need.

It was then that he turned to us and asked if we would like to hear the story behind the cereal. My co-worker and I exchanged a look of intrigue and agreed. He began to tell us his story.

Many years ago he was a young man, newly married. His wife had just given birth to a baby boy. Their son was seven days old when this man was called away to war.  Times were tough, the draft was in full force, and rations were in short supply. This man’s wife and baby ended up sick and struggling to find adequate food. He told us about how she found a Salvation Army and went to them hoping that they might be able to do something. With tears running down his cheeks, this humbled man told us
                                                “You saved them. You saved their lives.”

Guys, this is what the Salvation Army is all about. We help people. But more than that, if we really break it down – you help people. The Salvation Army is made up of basic things. We have a building, a church, a staff and the resources that you provide. When this man’s wife and child showed up on the doorstep of that Salvation Army many years ago they would have welcomed her with open arms. They would have held her hand, prayed with her, talked to her and offered to be there for her. But, they would not have been able to feed her, “to save her” from starvation without the support of their community. That is the power of your generosity.

So, the next time you are in the grocery store and you see a box of cereal, think of us and consider buying just a few extra groceries to help stock our shelves or stop by and give a donation to help support your community. Better yet? I want to challenge you to be intentional. Plan a day to go shopping specifically for the purpose of giving back, or get out in your community and serve, or simply share this post and spread the word that giving and serving others really does make a difference.