“Jesus didn’t tell His disciples to wait for people to come to them. He sent them out to reach out to those in need, and that’s why we did what we did at Ruler Foods today.”

Those words are from Dave Roznowski,  Neighborhood Relief Ministries, and explain why he and several others loaded the Neighborhood Relief box truck with coats, hats, gloves, and display racks and spent Saturday, November 3, at the Elm Street Ruler Foods.

“These [donated coats] came from people in this community. I want to see them used to impact those who need them most. Instead of telling people who live near this grocery store, that they need to come see us on Elida Rd., we wanted to bring the warm weather gear to them, to show them that we really do care.”

Caring, during this second annual Ruler Foods Outreach, including serving a free lunch of soup, crackers, offering a caring smile, and the willingness to pray for any situation.  

One year ago, during the inaugural launch of this outreach event, the Neighborhood Relief missionaries encountered snow, sleet, ice and cold.

This year, sunshine and balmy Fall weather made the day a bit more bearable, but Roznowski and his wife, Healther have learned that weather doesn’t matter when it comes to being the hands and feet of Jesus. . “We served hundreds this year, but we did so last year too.” Roz said. “They were standing out in the cold and snow a year ago, just like they were today. We really believe coming out to the people in this neighborhood and showing the love of Jesus is very important. We know there’s a need and we want to go out to that need.”

Coming up next for  Neighborhood Relief Ministries is the annual Christmas tree giveaway. Individuals interested in serve on this project are invited to gather Thursday, December 6, 6pm, at Rally Point Youth Center to assemble trees. They’ll be distributed Saturday, December 8. Learn more on the Neighborhood Relief Ministries facebook page, or call 419-296-2681.

Photos courtesy Heather Roznowski.