Our Children are Special

In order to accomplish our goals, Land of Promise (LOP) has written documents called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Agreement (MOA). These documents describe a cooperative relationship between two parties wishing to work together to meet an agreed upon goal. The parties that Land of Promise deals with are the schools, the food banks, the parents and the children. However, when your clients are children this becomes a Promise, not a document agreed on. The children depend on LOP to provide food every weekend according to our agreement, our promise.

Sometimes when we make promises to our children it is pretty inconsequential, but we don’t see it that way at LOP. Our word is our bond, and broken promises could produce disappointment among the children.

Recently, there was a situation where we made a mistake on the number of food backpacks to pack for the children.  This was definitely unintentional.  One child, Cesar Johnson, did not receive food that day. The school notified me of the mistake. I was devastated, and so was Cesar. Mistakes happen, but our promise to the children will always rise above any mistake. What would you have done?

I contacted the parent, apologized for the mistake and asked if I could deliver the food to their home. I’m so glad I did. After talking with them I gained a better understanding of their situation and on ways we can assist in the future. Cesar’s mom told me that her son felt “special” when LOP delivered the food to their home.  She also shared that home delivery is a viable solution to ensure children receive their food. Cesar’s disappointment was quickly erased and replaced with a big smile on his face.

I made some new friends that day, gained a memorable moment and a promise was fulfilled. I shared this story with you to demonstrate the level of commitment we have at Land of Promise for the children, their parents and our community.

Let’s All Eat Together