As I was driving out of the Doctors Care parking lot recently, I passed a woman filling the Little Food Pantry with canned goods. The pantry, which looks a lot like the little libraries you see in many neighborhoods, sits at the front end of our parking lot. I try to make a point of stopping when I see someone filling it with food and thank them for their generosity.
The Little Food Pantry started as a project in partnership with students from Heritage High School well over a year ago. Since that time, we have noticed its importance to the community grow, as well as the value it brings to patients and clients at Doctors Care.
On this day, which happened to be my birthday, I introduced myself and told the woman how much Doctors Care appreciated her help. She replied she often stopped by and filled the pantry because she knows how much need exists in the community, and the pantry makes it easy to help. It turns out the woman is caseworker in the Swedish Hospital Emergency Department, and meets people every day with a variety of needs.
I was thrilled when she requested Doctors Care flyers to hand out at her job, so I ran inside and grabbed as many as I could find. While she was familiar with Doctors Care, she comes into contact with many who could benefit from our services. We chatted about mutual supporters and continuing challenges facing members of our community. The best part for me was the fact it was my birthday and meeting this woman was the best gift. It reminded me how blessed I am to be a part of Doctors Care and live in Littleton, Colorado – a wonderful community. I am always amazed with encounters like this – random acts of generosity. It makes the world a bit more gentle, and certainly our community more kind.
