The Love Bank

 "And the Greatest of these is Love!" 1 Corinthians 13:13

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The war in Syria was raging.

The small Catholic community hospital where I am a chaplain prayed. We prayed consistently but a tugging in my heart said we need to do more.

Part of that urging was prompted by the many Syrian employees I met every day and of course the Syrian patients who came to the hospital. What could we do as a hospital? We are an institution founded by Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, brave women who came to Allentown in the midst of a diphtheria epidemic -- fueled by a need to mirror the love of their Jesus to all those they met.

Could we adopt a Syrian family, as an institution? Could we surround one family with a blanket of our love?

After getting the blessing of our kind President I began informally polling our staff about whether they would be willing to help a Syrian immigrant family. I was met with overwhelming enthusiasm. People stepped up offering to volunteer; willingness to donate household goods, time to tutor children; transportation. It blew my mind!

Next came contacting the different agencies who could help connect us with a family. There began the problem – a big problem for the newly created Love Bank. Immigration had ground to a halt.

That left a very real dilemma. Where can we channel this love so beautifully offered by our kind, generous staff?

I was discussing this with the head of our Parish Nurses. Our parish nurses are formidable! They venture into the depths of the poorest places in Allentown to provide much needed medical care, teaching, and maybe most important of all, direction. They dish out hope when there is none to be found.

Deb suggested that there were dramatic needs right here. Could we possibly redirect energies to our immediate neighborhood?

One of our parish nurses runs a laundry ministry. Every Tuesday for many years Jacqui and a crew of volunteers have gathered at a local laundromat to serve the poorest of the poor of Allentown by providing free laundry services. It is a beautiful dignity-providing act of love.

The laundry was the Love Bank’s first venture into local service and wow! – employees responded with an abundance of quarters and laundry supplies.

Through the years, the Love Bank has served three basic functions. Bolstering the good parish nurses’ ventures; helping our neighboring parish – located in a very impoverished area; and lastly but maybe most important of all, outreach to our employees who need a helping hand.

While still primarily supported by employee contributions, news of the Love Bank has grown and very good, very generous people from the community have pitched in to lend material help to the work of the Love Bank.

One beautiful woman from the community and her husband have provided case after case of granola bars, cartons of socks and other items for years. Granola bars are in big demand because they do not have to be cooked – a real plus for our neighbors living in tents.

A physician has given the Love Bank thousands of dollars to keep those washers and dryers running at Jacqui’s laundry ministry.

An employee tithes her salary so she can make a substantial contribution each month. That money is kept as a fund for when impoverished people need big help like a security deposit so they can get housing before their first paycheck arrives.

We ran a tent drive and my office soon filled with tents of all sizes to help poor people with much needed shelter.

Many people anonymously slip gift cards under the door.

There is such joy working in a place where people eagerly help!

Once, the parish nurse from the church next door asked if the Love Bank could help with a highchair. I sent out a public email and by the next day we could have supplied about a half dozen highchairs!

This year has proved to be a great one for the Love Bank. One kind woman gave us the ability to buy fruit every week and bring it to the laundromat. Many homeless people get by with help from the soup kitchen but fresh fruit is in very short supply. Because of this woman’s generosity people who really need it can munch on grapes, bananas and oranges while getting their laundry done.

The Love Bank is awash in my prayers. Sometimes donations do get scarce, then God is hearing my constant nagging, “Come on, this was your idea – how about sending some help?” Invariably – eventually – help does arrive. I also pray in thanksgiving, holding the people receiving and the people giving close to my heart as I pray.

God does answer these prayers. Not usually dramatically but last week I was overwhelmed with God’s loving response to my irreverent request.

We have begun accepting all kinds of clothes. For years I refused clothing donations because I just had no place to put them. Recently Jacqui volunteered to distribute them at the laundromat. God bless her!

Simultaneously Deacon Ricardo, one of two beautiful deacons, who serve our hospital, began bringing in clothing donations from his church. Two large garbage bags just missed the Tuesday ministry and were on top of a cart in my office.

Isaiah, one of my patients who returns to the hospital with a certain amount of frequency, came in looking for a couple of specific things.

“Sister Karroli (think cannoli but with an r), I need some glasses so I can read the word. I need a belt, size 36.”

“Okay, Isaiah. I can pick you up some glasses but the belt might have to wait until tomorrow”

What I honestly was thinking was, “Oh s**t, when the hello am I going to find time to go to Walmart.” I thought I would look in those bags to see if there was anything that could hold him over until I could get to Walmart. I shouldn’t be, but I am a bit of a cynic when it comes to God’s direct intervention in my life. I believe in a powerful, loving God but I think he leaves a lot of things to us and maybe once in awhile he inserts a divine touch.

When I opened the huge garbage bag and saw a size 36 beautiful men’s belt right on the top of all the other clothes, this old cynical chaplain was stopped in her tracks. Wow! Thank you Jesus!

And thank you to all the people that have made the Love Bank flourish, beautiful, generous people who have consistently lifted the poorest of the poor in our Sacred Heart neighborhood. Thank you to St. Luke’s who when they took us over, not only didn’t shut us down but continued the Sacred Heart practice of paying for any incidentals associated with this venture so that I can proudly say 100% of donations go to the intended recipients.

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 The Love Bank 

St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus 

421 Chew Street Allentown, PA 18102

610-776-4524