08/29/2026
Late on Friday afternoon, well after closing time, as I was preparing to leave the Food Bank, I heard a door open and close. Knowing I was the only one there, I started looking around. Finally, I realized the sound had come from the Men's room. When the door opened, I was greeted by a half clothed, very thin, grizzled older man who had been taking a "spit" bath at the sink. As he gathered his toiletry items, he softly said, do you have any water or any crackers? I put my impatience to get home with the threat of an approaching storm aside and thought, oh my goodness he has no home to go to... and as goofy as it sounds, I thought, what would Dolly do?
I led him to the cooler and we got water. Then to the "homeless shelf" where we keep "easy to open" inventory. As we walked he told me he had been picking up litter on the grounds because he didn't like "handouts." I thanked him. He said he was close to the Lord and the Lord always provided. He said he was a Veteran. He said he was on the road. travelling. He thanked me over and over. Once we were in the pantry, I realized he had the tiniest of back packs. I said, you need a bigger back pack. Softly, humbly, he said, this has my dirty clothes in it, so yes, I do need one. On the top shelf is a big bin with donated back packs. He chose a grey one and I filled it for him: peanut butter crackers, granola bars, tuna and chicken pouches, vienna sausage, fruit cups, saltines, slim jim sticks, cookie and chip packets, juice boxes and finally 6-7 cultlery packets. Someone had donated baggies of single serve condiments so I put some of those in and closed the bag. He talked the whole time. I thought later how lonely he must be.
As I led him back to the door, thunder rumbling, he thanked me again and wanted to shake my hand. He said you are an angel. I assured him, laughing, that I am not.
I went back to my office, prepping to leave. As I climbed into my car, I saw that he had sat down at one of the patio picnic tables, opening a packet of tuna. But he saw me, stopped, stood up and waved, once again calling me his angel.
I cried all the way home. "Being an angel" is just doing my job. Our job. Feeding our folks who have lost everything but their dignity.
I want to thank the dozens of folks who have provided the many foods for our homeless shelves: flip-top proteins and veggies, the tuna pouches, single sleeve cracker boxes, slim jims. fruit juice and fruit cups, the cutlery packets and the dear soul who donated the box of single serve condiment packets. And thank the efforts of many to collect used back packs as school ended last year. And the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Bulloch '26 Class/Hawk Construction for roofing our patio so our homeless can sit and eat out of the weather. And Hyundai Motors Foundation for the picnic tables to sit on and at, under that wonderful roof.
If you also would like to help those who have lost everything, tap Statesboro Food Bank and it will go to a donate button or just drop off pop top and other "single serve" items. We are open every day, M - F until 3:30 except Sunday. Saturdays until noon.
506 Miller Street at Northside West
Statesboro 30458
www.statesborofoodbank.org
