Serving in the field

Cross Catholic Outreach staff members were recently blessed with an opportunity to work alongside Father Glenn Meaux in Kobonal Haiti, distributing food to elderly villagers. That morning, some of the villagers had walked from miles away to receive their monthly supply, which they rely on for their basic nutritional needs. As each beneficiary stepped to the front of the line, he or she kindly thanked us for our help. In reply, we were instructed by Fr. Glenn to say a phrase in Creole that means “you deserve it.”

Those simple words freed the villagers to receive their rations with dignity. A respectful attitude is a crucial part of service to the poor, because a lack of dignity can be as harmful as a lack of food, water, shelter or other basic material need. The poor need to know – and truly believe – that they are human beings created in God’s image. And they need to have hope that their families are capable of escaping the cycle of poverty. Service without dignity crushes a community’s spirit and creates dependency. Service with dignity builds trust and inspires the poor to achieve a better future.