2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the MLK National Day of Service. Something New didn’t have to look very far to find a story of service to tell!
Last week several men in our Venezuelan branch of Nuevo Camino encountered a man on the streets of Lima whose wheelchair was tattered and broken. Without a second thought, they ran to the store to buy parts to fix his chair. On the way, they decided instead to pool their (slim) resources and buy him a new wheelchair. They never considered how much money they didn’t have in their pockets, or whether their kids could still eat that night as a result. They simply saw a stranger in need and stopped to help.
Each of these men knows what it’s like to be that “stranger on the street.” When Something New met a group of Venezuelan refugee families in Lima, we committed to supporting with jobs, food, and housing. It would be so easy to pass by…to pretend not to see the need. To ignore the fact that if we don’t do something, the ones we’ve encountered will starve. But we are not a people who can do that, and these men aren’t either. Once you’ve experienced someone stopping to invest in you, you can’t help but want to do the same for others.
The MLK Day of Service celebrates the legacy of one of history’s greatest civil and human rights leaders. Without knowing or intending to, this group of men encompassed the spirit of Dr. King. They chose not to look the other way when a need crossed their path. They gave, whether or not they “had” anything to give. They experienced the joy that comes from putting others before yourself.
We have much more work to do in Lima…more people to meet, more mouths to feed, more people desperate for hope. We need your help! Click here to join us in supporting this community!
