Community giving brings multiplication of blessings

The Gospel about Jesus turning the five loaves and two fish into enough to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 with 12 baskets of leftovers is challenging.

It was amazing that with a few words Jesus could turn five loaves and two fish into that much food. Don’t we wish we had that kind of power?

So, what is the meaning for us? First of all, Jesus did not begin with nothing. He first required a gift from the community, small as it was, just five loaves and two fish.

Recently, I attended a ribbon cutting for Veterans Village in Terre Haute. Six tiny houses to provide housing to six homeless veterans. Each one will receive transitional and support services through Veterans Point, Inc., founded by the Terre Haute Area Realtor’s Association.

The goal is to empower each veteran to be able to acquire permanent housing in the future.

It took a Village

The Terre Haute Area of Realtor’s Association took the risk of initiating and overseeing this project to its completion. It took a village to create this village.

It took a property donor, large money donors and small money donors through fundraising activities. It took designers and skilled volunteer workers donating time on evenings and weekends.

It took churches and other organizations to do fundraisers. Some donated bed linens, including quilters who made the bed comforters.

Some groups donated dishes and other furnishings. The Sisters of Providence donated a paver in honor of our nurses who served in wars from 1850-1971.

The ribbon cutting was such a joyful celebration of community! It didn’t matter whether your gift was large or small because every gift was multiplied by all the others.

It struck me that this is how we can do what Jesus did. By each one offering the gift he or she could give, that gift, multiplied by all the others, made this wonderful project a reality.