By Elisha Smith-Marshall, POM Executive Director

You know that feeling when you get into a routine and you just do things without even thinking about them? Maybe it’s the drive into work each morning. You get to the office and you don’t even remember how you got there. You think to yourself, “did I leave the coffee machine on?”

Routines are good, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes, we focus so much on the routine, that we miss little surprises along the way.

Nov. 17 was an overcast, cold day in Enumclaw. One could say, it may have looked like a normal Wednesday morning at Plateau Outreach Ministries. But this specific Wednesday morning was our Thanksgiving Food Bank. Still, cars lined up around the building – nothing new there. We smiled and said “Happy Thanksgiving” as we passed out bags full of goodies. And for a minute, we almost got lost in the routine of it all.

And then, Jean arrived. We’ve seen her at food bank in the past, so it was no surprise she was there. But, it was her entrance that changed us all. As she approached us, she got out of her car and showed off her fancy outfit, which was not her typical attire. And then, she gave us a little twirl.

Even though it’s just another food bank to us, these events are a big deal to our clients. There was an overwhelming sense of gratefulness about her.

The last 18+ months have been hard. Social distancing, not very many in-person events. And drive-thru food bank has changed the way we are able to connect with our clients. But that Wednesday morning, we were reminded that even though food bank is still drive-thru, it’s creating community. A community that is so deeply important to us and our neighbors.

To learn more about how you can help Plateau Outreach Ministries create community, or to contribute to the Dec. 15 Christmas Food Bank, visit plateauoutreach.org