Twenty some odd years ago I was what the world and I thought was successful. I owned
houses, made a lot of money and worked very few hours. Who had it better then me? Well, with all that I never
seem to be satisfied or happy. There seemed to be something missing. Well, all the money and houses are gone now
and by the government standards, I live in poverty. I volunteer thirty to forty hours a week without pay. “Why should I be thankful?”
All through my life I was a taker and gave very little back to society. One thing
I was always good at, making money and caring only about what I wanted. Twenty odd years ago I made a commitment to
my Lord and Savior and from that time to the present I have been on the most amazing adventure. God has taken off the
blinders that I had and shown me what the most important things in life really are. I don’t want to give
you the impression that I am living under a bridge somewhere. My wife and I have a nice home and our bills are paid
each month; we live off social security and a very small pension my wife receives from Pasco County.
At seventy-one years old, I am up every morning at 5:00 A.M. and in my office where I
volunteer by 6:00 A.M., where it is wall to wall people every day coming to us for assistance with food and personal items
for their families. God has chosen me and many faithful volunteers to start The Volunteer Way Food Bank and run its
daily operations. Every day, I thank God for allowing me to serve at The Volunteer Way’s Food Bank. We are
now helping 17,000 families throughout Central Florida and 5,500 families in Pasco County with free food to supplement their
food budgets. We also assist low-income homebound elderly, Pasco Pregnancy Center, women’s shelter,
mentally challenged and most other charities located in Pasco County. We are the only food bank in Pasco County that
gives all their food free to individuals, food pantries, soup kitchens and other charities. Last year we donated 5,000,000
pounds of food to feed the nutritionally challenged. “This is why I am thankful.”
I could not ask for a better life and every day I am thankful for God choosing such a
man as me to do His work here on earth. Until you look a hopeless person in the eyes and give them hope, you have not
lived. My giving back to society and making life a little better for someone else and expecting nothing in return,
is the most rewarding experience of my life. I am here and I am making a difference on this plant, called earth. “What more could a person ask for?”
May everyone that reads this newsletter Bless some less fortunate family and I promise
you, you will be Blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Lester Cypher
