I paused for a moment before I entered a small kitchen at Tikkun Farm and took in the scene before me. Volunteers, formerly strangers to each other, chatted as if they were old friends while they stood around a large square table chopping vegetables for crockpot meals—a mother and teenage daughter, three college kids, and two friends looking for an adventure. There was no shortage of laughter or comradery among these people who, on the surface, appeared to have little in common.
Meanwhile, other volunteers joined forces to organize and form an assembly line where spices were measured and bagged. Conversation flowed easily as the bags were passed from hand to hand and spices added.
Together, these volunteers assembled 240 crockpot meal kits in less than two hours. Tikkun Farm sends these kits to homeless families living in hotels, disabled adults, single parents, and others in need of food support.
When our work was done, Sister Marie Romejko, SNDdeN brought us all together to share our thoughts about our experience.
“I don’t cross paths with many college kids, and it was so enjoyable to talk with them.”
“This was fun.”
“It’s always good to help others.”
“I love volunteering with Live The Good. It’s not like any other group I’ve volunteered with.”
Live The Good is unique. It’s not just a program: it’s a space where the world seems smaller and kinder, where strangers become friends, and where we join the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in making known God’s goodness. In the process, we deepen our connection to what we cannot see but can feel.
God is with us, and God is good.