Published: July 02, 2009 09:22 am      

Public forum, July 2

Sense of community

evident in program

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Logansport. I was there to see Missy Iles who coordinates the backpack program at Fairview and Columbia Elementary schools. I have worked with Missy for several months as the program supplied the children with a backpack full of food to help sustain them during the weekends when school meals aren’t available. Missy is a woman of quiet strength and a genuine commitment to help those in need. She also had the unique ability to open her heart to include all those around her.

What I thought would be a fairly mundane visit turned into a surprising event. When I arrived at First Assembly of God Church, I noticed right away that the parking lot was home to two fire trucks and a fire command vehicle. When I entered the building, there was no emergency, just eight firemen happily helping Missy move cartons of food from the storeroom, opening boxes and stacking food neatly on the table. They moved about the task with light chatter and great sense of purpose. As the last of the food was arranged on the table, the men said quiet goodbyes and left the building.

In a few minutes, senior citizens, some using wheelchairs and walkers, began to arrive. Amid happy greetings and hugs from Missy, they made their way to a place at the table where they were preparing to pack the 250 backpacks that would later be driven to the schools by other church volunteers. The volunteers were greeted by Chris Hess and Liz Loposser, principals at the elementary schools served by this program. The principals chatted about the needs of the children at their schools and the tremendous help this program has been. They recalled that Joyce Gebhardt, executive director of the Cass County United Way, proposed and funded the backpack project, and at least seven groups that had come together to make this happen.

As I look back on my visit, I am overwhelmed with the sense of community that was visible and the incredible power of one woman to bring people together to do exactly what needed to be done. Thank you, Missy, and your wonderful volunteers. I feel like a better person because I know you and I know the Logansport community is a better place because you are there.

Kim Motuliak

Resource director

Food Finders Food Bank

Lafayette