From baskets of food to pencils, every little bit helps
So many people are doing so much good right now in the midst of a worldwide catastrophe. It’s unprecedented the challenges we face, and we’re going to need an unprecedented boost from all corners to get through, and over, this.
There is no way to highlight everyone and every group that is pitching in. I recognize that, you recognize that. But when I stumble into something, I’m going to share it. Why not share the good, right?
So let’s talk about Dr. Lawrence Boyd and the work he’s doing as both the pastor (along with his wife) of his church - Chosen
Generation on North Montgomery Street in Trenton - and as the head honcho of HelpSelf, a nonprofit in the city. Also note, for the record, Boyd has a 9-to-5 as a New Jersey Head Start family partnership coordinator, and he’s a father to two small children.
The man is busy, to be sure. And he’s mostly busy helping others.
“We want to do our part during this pandemic,” Boyd told me. “We’ve given out baskets of food to all of our families, enough food for a week. We did that in partnership with our church. Obviously, when this started, we thought it would be for two weeks. Now it’s until whenever.”
This past Friday evening, the church gave out hot meals to residents in need, both as a grab ‘n go and through deliveries.
Boyd and his volunteers have packed bags of snacks for countless Trenton residents, and have made sure some of their food and snacks have made it to the senior citizen high rises.
“We’re a small church and small organization, but have been helping people with food and workshops for 12 years,” Boyd said.
HelpSelf, along with the church and other partners, runs an after-school program for 35 kids, grades K-8. The organization also has a food pantry twice a month that serves about 50 families. And during the summertime, HelpSelf offers a low cost nine-week summer program for about 50 students.
For the record, they’ve been doing all this - and more - on about $50,000 a year.
“A lot of volunteers!” Boyd said, laughing, when I asked how he pulls this off.
Obviously, right now, there are no after-school programs, no twice-monthly food pantries, summer camp is even up in the air.
So Boyd pivoted. First with the food, next with the kids.
“We delivered pencils and pens and crayons and notebooks and all kinds of other educational supplies,” Boyd said. “Kids are expected to keep up in school, we wanted to make sure they had the materials.”
Additionally, Boyd said he was able to reroute some grant funding and are now operating on virtual level, doing virtual reading and math lessons, along with family engagement and stress relief.
“We just really believe something good is going to come out of all this,” Boyd said. “We enjoy pastoring the church, but our greatest joy is doing things of this nature.”