“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…”
— Matthew 25:35

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A Nation in Need

Last Friday, SNAP benefits stopped for 42 million people across our nation. That means 16 million children woke up in homes where the food assistance their families relied on just disappeared.

This is hurt. Real, visceral, present-tense hurt.

The grandmother in your church living on $800 a month.
The single mom at school pickup.
The veteran down the street.

They’re not statistics. They’re our neighbors. And they’re hungry.

🎥 Watch This Week’s While You Wait Wednesday with Dr. Lael Melville

Want to go deeper into this hurt-to-healing journey?
This week, Dr. Lael Melville shares a heartfelt message on how we can respond to the current food crisis with faith, compassion, and action.

Together, we’ll unpack practical ways to serve your community, share stories of hope in action, and explore what Scripture says about our responsibility to the hungry.

In this episode, Dr. Melville will answer questions like:

• How do I start a weekend bag program at my school?
• What if I don’t have money to give—how can I still help?
• How can I talk to my children about serving others?
• What does the Bible teach us about feeding the hungry?

📺 Watch Live or Catch the Replay:

👉 whileyouwaitministries.com
📍 YouTube: While You Wait Ministries
📱 Instagram: @whileyouwaitministries

One Woman Who Refused to Look Away

Maria, a Dallas teacher, noticed her students coming to school hungry every Monday. So she started keeping granola bars in her desk. Word spread, and other teachers joined in. She reached out to her church and neighbors.

Today, her “weekend bag” program feeds 47 children every single weekend.

Maria saw the hurt, and she chose healing.

We’re Already Showing Up — Join Us

Through The Melville Family Foundation and While You Wait Ministries, we’ve provided more than 150,000 meals this year. We’re partnering with local schools and food banks across DFW, standing in the gap where systems fall short.

But we can’t do this alone.

This is the first post in our Sacred Perspective in the Hurt for November. Each month, we’ll tackle a different hurt and offer practical ways you can help bring healing. Because while we wait for systems to change, we refuse to wait to love our neighbors.

Your Next Steps

🧺 Give Food
Donate to the North Texas Food Bank or Tarrant Area Food Bank.
Call 211 to find local resources near you.

💰 Give Funds
Join our Melville Family Foundation November Food Drive.
Goal: $50,000 by Thanksgiving. Every dollar becomes 3 meals.
Donate at https://www.melvillefamilyfoundation.com/thanksgiving/

🤝 Volunteer
Start a weekend bag program at a local school.

📣 Share
Forward this post to your group chat friends, church and small group.
Keep grocery gift cards in your car for divine appointments.

🙏 Pray
Pray for families choosing between food and medicine today.
Prayer isn’t passive. It’s powerful.

If You Need Help Right Now

There is zero shame in feeding your family. None.
Dial 211 for local food resources or email us at info@whileyouwaitministries.com.

You are not forgotten. You are loved.

From Hurt to Healing

We see the hurt.
We will not look away.
We will show up.
We will feed hope.

God’s people have always been the ones who feed the hungry. From the early church sharing everything they had (Acts 2:44–45) to today, this is our calling.

Don’t just lift your eyes. Move your feet.

“We cannot grow weary in doing good.”
— Galatians 6:9

Do one thing today. Then do another tomorrow. Keep going.

In Christ’s Love and With Holy Urgency,

Rev. Dr. Lael Melville

While You Wait Ministries