Homeless people in the city of Lages, the largest city in the mountainous region of Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, received food and encouragement from Seventh-day Adventist youths on the evening of May 30. Seventeen young adults from the city’s Central Seventh-day Adventist Church participated, first visiting a temporary shelter managed by city officials. The shelter is designed to help protect the homeless from extreme cold temperatures and other conditions.
The young people distributed 33 lunch boxes during an informal service that featured songs, prayers, and a brief devotional with Bible readings.
“There are few who show interest in these people on the margins of society. For us, it is always gratifying to share a little of God's blessings with others,” said youth leader Marian Barbosa.
She views this kind of action as an opportunity to share the love of God and an opportunity to bring hope to those who feel abandoned. “To serve others is to serve Christ,” she added.
District pastor Filipe Canarin said the youth’s actions merit praise: “We acknowledge these young people who, extending themselves, cared enough to bring dinner and a message of hope to the homeless this Saturday night.”
Meanwhile, in the community hall of the Bela Vista neighborhood, also in Lages, 200 lunchboxes were distributed to families registered during the week.
“To avoid crowding at the site, we visited and distributed passwords to families in the region during the week. They came and removed the food to consume at home,” said Grasielle Oliveira, another youth leader.
Developed by the Adventist Social Action (ASA) of the Adventist Church of St. Helena, this was the second act of its kind. “We started the mobilization in early May,” explains Grasielle. In addition to the lunchbox, the families received the Adventist sharing book A Maior Esperança (“The Greatest Hope”) and guidance materials on combating the new coronavirus.
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site