Thanks to Valentine’s Day, February is the month of love. Whether or not you are a fan of it, the fact remains that this time is known for gestures of love. And we tend to give love the way we enjoy receiving love. I will give you a gift because I enjoy being given gifts, or I will write you a letter because I desperately want to receive words of affirmation. However, we can agree that the best way to show love is in the form that the person on the receiving end most appreciates and needs it. Essentially, we need to speak their “love language” if loving them well / accurately is truly our goal.
This can make showing love to strangers even more difficult. Sometimes, it is easier to throw ten bucks at someone on the street corner than get to know him and his story– to uncover his true needs and how to love him well. At other times, we offer to pray for someone when all she really needs is that ten bucks for gas to drive to her job interview. It can feel a bit overwhelming and hopeless at times trying to love others, but it is often as simple as taking the time to ask how you can love someone well, what they truly need or how you can help.
You may even be surprised to find that all they need is a listening ear or shoulder to cry on. Sometimes just knowing that someone actually cared is enough. And sometimes there is a practical need that feels impossible for that person, but is quite simple for you to help with. At other times, a person may just need your help in connecting them with someone else or the resources available. Sometimes… love is more simple than we make it.
Indy Hygiene Hub takes the guesswork out of loving people well, even if you’ve never met them before. We have individuals and families coming to a hygiene pantry, making it very clear that they have a need for toiletries, cleaning products, toilet paper, and/or diapers. We are able to love them well by lovingly providing what they truly need.
We also take our mobile pantry directly to those in severe need, living on the streets or in squatter camps. We partner with another organization that provides food to also provide hygiene items for those who desire it. When they express a need to also get warm, we respond however we can. And we listen instead of coming with our own ideas or agenda.
For example, we will soon be taking more cans and hand sanitizer for them to light up because they’ve informed us that it burns longer than other heaters and it is what they will actually use. This might seem silly or wasteful to others, but they’re not the ones desperate to avoid freezing to death on the street. So we accurately love the person on the street how he needs to be loved, even if it’s found in an old coffee tin.
How can you love us well? By loving those we serve. Our pantry shelves are getting more and more empty lately, and while tampons or diapers may not scream “LOVE” to you – they do to someone else… someone who cannot leave home or feel confident being around others because of lack.
Yes, sometimes, love is found in a hygiene product… or a coffee tin… in volunteering at a pantry… or in asking the simple question, “How may I love you well?”
If you’re ready to take a next step, you can donate money or product, sign up to volunteer or contact us for more info on how to get involved.