by Sarah Spagnola, CNNC Summer Intern
Mothers from the Thriving at Three program had a chance to give back to their community on Sunday, June 30, when they helped prepare food for Greensboro’s homeless in Center City Park.
The weekly meal is organized by a Greensboro resident who has previously experienced homelessness. Community organizations usually help the man prepare the meals, but he needs extra help about twice a month, a fact he mentioned recently to TAT project coordinator Angela Guerrero while both were working at Presbyterian Church of The Covenant. Angela saw both a chance to serve others and to shatter the stereotype of Latinos as leeching government benefits.
“I wanted them to see that the Latino community also helps the community,” Angela said.
Most of the TAT mothers couldn’t go with Angela that Sunday as they had to look after their children, but six mothers were able to accompany Angela to pick up food for the meal. They then went to Center City Park, where 120-150 homeless people were waiting. Angela and the mothers stayed to help prepare food and serve the people in line. The event organizer introduced the group as the Thriving at Three program, eliciting a round of applause from the crowd.
“They were really grateful that we were serving them,” Angela said.
The organizer also gave Angela a card expressing the community’s appreciation for what the mothers had done. The card read as follows:
“Dear Angela & Latino Group,
Thank you so much for the tender love and care that you put into the dinner. Also thank you for the way y’all served each guest with a smile. We thank God that He sent y’all our way. May God bless each of you richly.”
Angela read the card to the mothers when TAT programming resumed on Thursday. She told the mothers everything she saw and how grateful the people in line were for their service.
“The moms were really happy to have participated in this little event,” Angela said.