More of A Blessing To Me: Guest Blog by Bernice Bundren

Several months ago I started volunteering at the Sharing Shed with our Harvester crew once a month. All I knew about this place in O’Fallon was that it provided free furniture and household items to those in need. The first day I walked in, I was quite surprised at what I saw. My thoughts were more of people rummaging through items that they might need and hopefully it would be good quality items. Was I ever wrong!

There is a room that looks more like a boutique for household items…everything someone would need to get started. Some shelves have neatly placed matching plates, bowls, and cups. A section with everything that’s needed for the bathroom and bedrooms with sheet sets and quilts separated for Twin, Queen, and King beds. There’s another section for a baby’s needs. All the donations they receive have to be sorted and cleaned. I could go on and on about the plethora of items. What I love is to see are the faces of the clients that we help when they walk into this beautifully displayed room. I believe they get a real feeling of being treated with dignity and respect when they see how much effort has been put into creating this space.

That was just the household items…then we take them into the furniture warehouse – couches, love seats, recliners, mattresses, dining and kitchen tables and chairs, bedroom sets! Again, every item has to be in good condition and cleaned before it goes on the floor warehouse. What is amazing is that all the items they receive are donated.

What I love about this time of helping is just seeing what joy it has given to so many who probably had felt things were hopeless until they walk in this door and we start packing up their U-Haul with items they picked out themselves!

One of the most heartbreaking but precious moments was when a grandmother was with her 8 or 9 yo grandson who had just lost his mom to drugs. Grandma was taking him into her home. Grandma picked out some of their needed items but all he wanted was a picture of a little angel going up to heaven. There were many tears shed over this.

Quite often, I have felt it has been more of a blessing to me just to know there is a place like The Sharing Shed that provides an amazing ministry to so many people in need.

Bernice Bundren

Bernice Bundren is a Harvester Christian. Bernice can be seen expressing her love of Christ through service at The Sharing Shed, Discover Harvester, Guest Services, School Outreach, local nursing homes, Life Group Leader, and wherever else God calls her.