Handing Over with Food for the Poor

October 8, 2013

Elder and Sister Cook arranged for a container of powdered milk and school kits to be delivered to an organization called Food for the Poor.  They did an amazing job of delivering the powdered milk and school kits to many schools.  Food for the Poor wanted us to go with them to deliver all the milk, but it was going to take too much time.  Marcia McKenzie, on the public relations committee, went on some deliveries, some of the Elders went also.  In Berbice, Elder and Sister Esplin and Elder and Sister Samaroo went and had a great time.  The school children were excited.
We arranged to do a handing over with Food for the Poor, but one morning before we thought it was going to happen Marcia McKenzie called us.  We were on our way back home after getting our car fixed.  We had taken a different route and were just a few blocks from the Prashad Nagar chapel.  She told us that she had received a phone call and the handing over was in 20 minutes.  We picked her up and stopped at our house and found her a dressier shirt to wear.  We hurried out to their building which was a few miles away.  We did not have time to find a Priesthood leader to go with us.  When we arrived we visited with the leader of the organization and then went into the room where they had a nice display set up.  There were photographers there to record and publicize the event.  The program started and they called on Elder Beecher to speak.  He did a fabulous job with no warning.  We found out later that it was shown on television that night. Some of the members saw it and told us about it.  Elder Beecher read in our humanitarian paperwork later the things you should mention when speaking at a handing over.  He had mentioned every one of the items listed.  It was a witness to him that when you are doing Heavenly Father's work, he will be there to help you.

Display of Powdered Milk and School Kits

The fellow that we worked with at Food for the Poor.  The Church also provided clothes and shoes and other items on different occasions.

The CEO of Food for the Poor

Elder Beecher speaking at the Handing Over.  Publicity was really important for all the humanitarian projects that the Church did.  It was one great way to bring the Church out of obscurity.