Border Patrol at the Pantry

Every Thursday and Saturday Good Shepherd UCC hosts a food pantry.

Which means today, when 150 people were gathered for the Border Issues Fair, a group of dedicated parishioners were simultaneously providing groceries for hungry people in the community.

The Sahuarita Food Bank is an amazing operation, in scope and organization (see the huge outdoor freezers in the photo below).

I saw a sea of volunteers wearing red aprons and pushing grocery carts for clients, who moved through an orderly and compassionate process. While the Food Bank was started by the church, it is growing into its own entity. The church is actually working to build a separate building to serve as the Food Bank and a community center.

The church knew today would be a little extra complicated, with the Border Issues Fair and Food Bank happening at the same time. My Massachusetts brain couldn't figure out where they were going to put everybody, until I found out part of the Food Bank is always held on a large patio area, thanks to the temperate weather. I keep forgetting I'm not in New England (which means I also keep getting confused about what month it is. Really sorry about the two feet of snow folks back home will have to shovel without me on Sunday...) So parking was organizer's main concern, until the phone started ringing this week.

There are many Border Patrol staff living and working in Sahuarita. Due to the government shutdown, they have not been paid for a month. This week the church began receiving calls from members of the Border Patrol and their families, wondering if “it would be okay” if they came to the Food Bank.

And so in one space today there was an array of people that included:

- immigrants (many with papers but perhaps some without since the Food Bank doesn’t check)

- people involved in protesting the actions of Border Patrol agents

- Border Patrol agents.

Before the Food Bank opened, we discussed the importance of setting a tone of hospitality to all people. In particular, we wanted to make sure the Border Patrol staff were made to feel welcome, and supported during this shutdown. We talked about how we saw this as a beautiful opportunity, to have all these people in one place and the chance to make sure everyone was fed. Upon arrival at the Food Bank, several individuals indicated they work for the BP, and talked about how they didn’t want to be at the Food Bank, but were grateful to be welcomed.

This is what I am here to learn. Today folks with very different backgrounds and perspectives were side by side on a warm stone patio, receiving the food that will feed all their families for the week. Maybe these folks don't regularly inhabit the same space. But we are all on the beautiful "patio" that is this world, side by side, all trying to feed our families and find dignity for ourselves. So how can we create spaces where we can connect with each other, and have conversations where we can truly hear each other? And when we find ourselves in close contact with someone who has a different experience than our own, with views different from ours, what can we do to affirm the humanity of each other, and see the divine in each other?

Clearly part of the answer is that we need to feed each other. I’m grateful that happened today. I’m going to have the opportunity to volunteer at the Food Bank on Thurs.; I look forward to being part of the feast.