Guest Editorial: Our Shelves Tell the Tale

By Sister Mary O’Brien, CSJ —

Gratitude is part and parcel of our everyday lives at Tioga County Rural Ministry, for without our beloved community, we would be unable to fulfill our mission “to serve the unmet needs of Tioga County residents who are sick, poor, or elderly.” 

In this season of thanksgiving and also this time when great need has existed for our friends and neighbors, our gratitude knows no bounds. As always, whenever there is need, our community finds the will and a way to meet and overcome any obstacle.

You heard the news. You read the news of suffering brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors who, without their SNAP benefits, were facing hunger head-on.  Food pantries were running low on food, ours included, and you responded in spades. Creativity abounded.

Tioga County legislators led the way with a stunningly generous gift to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, enabling area pantries to breathe anew and restock their nearly empty shelves. Facebook users with common interests joined hands and efforts with pop-up food drives, a drive for toiletries, toys for our local Toys for Tots, and high-need items for babies; strangers became friends.

“What do you need?” phone calls poured in; area churches and groups hosted food drives; countless donors stopped by bearing gifts of bags and boxes of food, checks, and cash. We needed more pantry volunteers, and suddenly help arrived on the scene.

Today, our burgeoning shelves tell the tale. Our hearts are full; our gratitude is immense.

Meister Eckhardt, 13th century mystic, philosopher, and theologian, said: “If the only prayer you ever say is “thank you,” then that is enough.”

Sister Mary added, “Thank you… thank you… thank you, Tioga County.”