One Another
Foundation Annual Breakfast
October 22,
2013
It’s
wonderful to see how this breakfast has grown over the past few years, along
with the community support for this Foundation. And I have to tell you, of all
the organizations that I’m involved with, this one gets me the most excited.
I have the
privilege of serving this community in the legislature. And it just so happens
that state government is the primary provider of social services to people in
our community. Hundreds of people get help from the DSHS Community Service
Office in downtown Puyallup every day. Let me give you some statistics:
- In one recent month, 36,928 people received basic food assistance through the Puyallup DSHS office. This amounted to an average allotment of $263.31 per person, or about $4.6 million combined.
- In another recent month, 1,997 people went to the DSHS office to apply for new benefits
- That same month, 2,462 people requested an EBT card
- And in that same month, the DSHS office in Puyallup recorded nearly 12,000 client contacts in its lobby or by phone. That’s 3,000 contacts per week and 600 contacts per day.
There are a number of advantages to the
state providing these services. Indeed, I believe it’s important for government
to provide these services.
But I want to say three things. First of
all, government will never be able to do it all. No matter how much money we
have at the state, we can’t meet all the needs of all the people in our
community.
Second, government cannot provide for
the spiritual needs of individuals and families. Government can cut checks and help
people get by, but government cannot fix people’s deepest problems.
And third, our community’s network of private
faith-based organizations is the best way I know of to address the material and
spiritual needs of people in our community. This network is made of nonprofit
organizations, families, churches, businesses, philanthropists, and volunteers.
And my own opinion is that these community partners are better at loving and
caring for people in need than any government bureaucracy ever was. The One Another
Foundation exists to build the network of community partners that is helping to
meet needs and to get Christians more active in service to their
neighbors.
This morning I want to recognize some of
the people who make up that network of service.
If you’re the pastor of a church, would
you stand?
Now remain standing, but I want to ask
some others to join them:
If you work for a nonprofit or ministry
organization, would you stand?
If you’re a teacher or educator, would
you stand?
If you work in public service – police,
fire, elected service, military, and the like, would you stand?
If you’re a business owner, would you
stand?
If you volunteer for a faith-based
nonprofit or ministry organization, would you stand?
Everyone in this room is doing something wonderful. Imagine what we could do together if we all
did a little bit more to help the people in need in our midst.
The One Another Foundation is getting people to do that
little bit more. It’s raising awareness
of the needs in our community. It’s challenging churches to expand their
outreach. It’s matching volunteers with ministry opportunities. And it’s
changing Puyallup for the better.
