NIMBY

nerneh,

Don't curse me for giving this suggestion, but I think it is a good one:  Have those two elderly folks contact the ACLU.  They would probably try to intervene on the older couples behalf claiming they should not have been stopped for practicing their faith.

Believe it or not, the ACLU has done a lot to help religious folks.

[Barb1957]

I can imagine how these people must feel discouraged. Maybe wearying situations like that are why the Holy Spirit saw to it that the encouraging statement found in Galatians 6:9 got in there. I wonder if there might still be some way, when they're up to it, to get something going again, perhaps this time with the help and support of the community. Here in Nashville, as you may know, there is Nashville's Table, which helps feed the needy, the homeless and the hungry; area restaurants, etc. voluntarily donate perishable food what would otherwise end up getting thrown out.  I have no idea how these things get going, I'm like the least 'organizer' type person there is, but I figure if it can be done here ... Maybe they could contact our mayor's office or junior league or ?? here and get in touch with someone, find out how they might go about this. (Or maybe there's something similar closer to them.) I'm sure there are legal requirements, etc.  I inquired a while back at the hot bar of a local grocery store, as to what happens with the food that doesn't get sold. The guy there told me that they used to give it to ... I think he said the Mission ... but that they had to stop because the Health Dept. told them they couldn't do that. ?? And I said well then how do these places that give to Nashville's Table manage to donate, and he didn't know. I'm not sure just what requirements must be met by those who do donate food. There's gotta be a way though. These folks sure sound like good people.

[Fate]

Get outta here! That story was true!?? UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! :(

People are just selfish.  Everyone claims to want to help the poor except when it comes time to be willing to truly sacrifice.

[nerdneh]

NIMBY

This is a true story about some folks who live in the quaint little village of Petersville, Alabama not far from the community of Underwood, just north of Florence. Perhaps you know of it.

Two retired couples observed that there were many needy people living around them.  Some people did not have enough to eat, and their children would sometimes go hungry because the money was just not available to buy the food they needed.  

So, the retired folks asked themselves, "What can be done about this situation, for it seems a shame that anyone should go hungry?"  Instead of saying, "Well nothing can be done about it, after all, it's the government's job to feed people."  They said, "We are retired, let's take our truck and go around to the grocery stores and ask them not to throw away food just because it is a little wilted.  Instead, give us the food and we will give it to all the needy folks."

So, this is what they did, and every week they would venture out in their retired truck (for the truck was retired too!), taking their precious time and precious energy to go from store to store, week after week, and then give the food to those without enough to eat.  And, so those in need came and gratefully accepted the food, as though from God Himself (for God was really blessing the needy through these retired folks!), and were happy.  

Everyone was happy with what was going on; the hungry were happy to have food for themselves and their children, and the retired folks were happy to be so useful.

Then, a neighbor rose up in anger and rage.  Seeing all the needy people in his neighborhood frightened him.  He ran outside crying "NIMBY," NIMBY," "NIMBY" in a disturbed voice.  He soon frightened all the people of the neighborhood as well.  He called in the LAW and stopped all the good that was going on.  So, now who will do good in that neighborhood?  Who will feed the hungry?  Will the fellow who cried "NIMBY" do it?

At last report, the man who stopped the good was heard to say, "I like to see people do good, but Not In My Back Yard!"

[nerdneh]

B. H. Don't worry, I stopped cursing when I left the Marine Corps and joined up with Jesus. I appreciate your suggestion, although these folks, whom I have met, are very conservative religiously and just want to forget the whole thing. They were so upset by the opposition, it is like they are in shock.

[seekr]

This is not a rare situation which makes this even sadder. There has been a battle going on for over 2 years in my area over a shelter being built (NIMBY). Some Christain businessmen got together and wanted to help the homeless get back on their feet. It got built but there is still plenty of opposition, even though it was in a place where the homeless were already hanging out. The enemy is at work as He hates our love.

seekr

[nerdneh]

Yes, the story is true. It appeared in the Florence Times Daily and I had an opportunity to meet one of these people. They really did have the law called in on them because of something like "creating a public nuisance" because of the "undesirable folks" coming to the neighborhood. This is, as seeker says, not all that unusual, sad to say.

When I was in Nashville, we built a building, on our property in Donelson, to take care of folks who needed clothing, groceries, etc. The neighbors sued the church, claiming it hurt their property values, even though the building we built looked a lot better than their house. In that case the judge threw out their case and the building stands today being used daily to help folks.

Everybody wants some good done, just do it somewhere else. This is actually a stand taken by many Christians, believe it or not. Property values seem to outrank spiritual values.