The Simple Act of Kindness

Searching for someone to help her hungry family during this time of transition, Stali walked into the Human Crisis Council's (HCC) door. Volunteers of this non-profit organization and Operation Blessing partner listened to the mother's plight and leaped into action. Food, beds and additional furnishings were soon delivered to Stali's apartment. Thanks to HCC, this family is one many households in central Florida who can comfortably sleep with full stomachs!

"A simple act of kindness can change attitudes, soften hard hearts, replace despair with hope and self affirmation which will cause them to want to lift themselves up and stand on their own two feet." commented HCC's Alex Petzold. "Just [having] the knowledge that food is available for an indefinite period of time can encourage them to take an entry level job and still be able to make ends meet."

Twenty years ago Lew Petzold began reaching out to the community's poor from his home. Now 79 years old , this gentleman leads over thirty volunteers in distributing 160,000 pounds of groceries to countless hungry individuals every week! The majority of volunteers are themselves current or former HCC recipients. Human Crisis Council is now headquartered in a 10,000-square-foot warehouse. The complex has large coolers, freezers and enough equipment to handle multiple tractor trailer loads of donations at a time. In 2001 alone, over seven million pounds of food was shared with thousands of poor individuals, families and forty networking agencies!

Operation Blessing's Hunger Strike Force is one of many relief organizations helping HCC. Area churches work with HCC each Saturday in distributing a Hunger Strike Force load of food to people living in a different low income neighborhood. HCC's weekend also includes the emergency food pantry. Volunteers deliver food boxes to shut-ins, the handicapped and single mothers without transportation. Having the heart, drive and vision to meet the needs of those who have fallen through the system's cracks, Lew Petzold recruits the time and products of local stores, farms, dairies, bakeries, markets, schools, and businesses. A glimpse of this determined man's hard work was seen on July 28th at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. More than four hundred volunteers gave 280,000 pounds of food to 25,000 families and individuals!

"We try to show God in action, with a hand up not a handout" said Alex Petzold.

Showing kindness is simple. It takes seconds to make an eternal impact on someone's life.