What a day I have had. How do you tell teenagers that the man they have worked with and loved for years has passed away? Some of the GRUB teens had already heard the news, others found out this morning when we met for our Saturday workday at the farm. Instead of pretending we could go on as usual, we spent the morning talking about our Farmer Roy. It was amazing to hear the kids (I call them kids, even though they are young adults) talk about their relationships with Roy. Several mentioned that he had been a father/grandfather figure to them. We laughed and we cried as we remembered how Roy has touched each of our lives. How fortunate we all are to have known such a kind and caring man.
David Weaver, the Executive Director of the food bank, joined us this morning. What a kind thing for him to do. He knew it would be a difficult morning and his presence was appreciated by us all. He reminded us that Roy’s kind acts had left a ripple effect and it was up to all of us to continue his work. I know we are up to the challenge.
Roy had a vision for the GRUB Program, a vision that was contagious if he ever spoke to you about it, a vision I hope to carry out with the help of the young adults in the program. As Roy would say, “Step up.” So, the kids and I will step up and fulfill his dream. We are up to the task.
The South Plains Food Bank has set up a special memorial in Farmer Roy's memory.
http://spfb.kintera.org/Riddle
No comments:
Post a Comment