Florida waitress dishes out 75,000 dinners for homeless to fulfill God's calling
Florida waitress Gloria Lewis says she feels that God has called her to help out the homeless people in her community, so every week, she prepares 225 dinners and 180 breakfasts from her own kitchen to serve those in need.
Lewis, who founded her charity called Care in Action with her husband, Anthony Vargas, in 2012, started out by spending her own money to create 20 meals a week.
Each weekend, she buys $700 worth of groceries so that she can prepare dozens of meals consisting of rice, chicken parmesan, spaghetti, meatballs, barbecue chicken and some vegetables.
With the support of Pennsylvania businessman Bob Byers, Lewis and her husband were able to feed more people in need. The businessman started to help out by giving the couple a check for $10,000 in 2015 and he has since been sending money to the charity regularly.
Lewis, who came to the U.S. from Barbados in 1987, said that she serves the poor every week because she knows how "easy it is to become homeless."
"I have always worked in low-income jobs and I could see just how easy it is to become homeless. It's so easy," she said, as reported by Fox News.
"The stereotypes that surround the homeless are so far from the truth. I see myself every day in these people and I think it could be me so easily so I go and feed them," she continued.
The 54-year-old grandmother of three expressed concern that the number of homeless people in Broward County is growing despite her efforts.
She believes that the soaring rent in Fort Lauderdale is one of the primary causes of homelessness and she is urging politicians to increase their efforts in making housing more affordable.
Lewis, who also works full time as a waitress in Fort Lauderdale, noted that her charity now prepares 200 meals for the poor every Sunday. According to her charity's website, her son helps out by writing encouraging Scripture or "God loves you" on the Styrofoam lid of each meal.
She believes that her charity work is "God's purpose," and she hopes to continue with her efforts in helping the poor.
"I couldn't do this without God, he called me and my husband to do this. There's such a stigma about homeless people but they are a group of people that are so helpful to one another and so supportive. It's been my honor to do what I do," she said, according to Fox News.