A friend was in a tizzy because she saw something on Tic Tok (which let me be honest here I refuse to participate in), which was a young girl pretending to reach out to churches requesting one can of formula for her infant. According to the girl doing it this was a social experiment to see if churches would be generous to her request. According to my friend only 1 church, which was a Muslim church in Charlotte, agreed to help her with a gift of baby formula and all the big dollar mega churches refused her request.

When I first watched my friend’s reel on Facebook, I thought who would use Tik Tok to beg for formula if your child was hungry…and maybe that is what the churches thought too. But remember I don’t DO Tic Tok, so I have no idea if this is a regular place to request people to fulfill your needs. So, I responded, “If she needs formula why not go to the local food pantry or the local churches. I have never known a church of ANY religion to turn a mother with a baby away! I also said call the pediatrician. When I worked at pediatrics in Ocala, we were given samples for new moms I am sure they would help her rather than see a baby go hungry.

Well, I was informed it was a social test to see what churches would do. Not sure how I feel about any of that, nor does it make me want to run out and follow Tik Tok, but it may be that I am aged out of what the younger generation thinks about making do. My husband and I had our first child at 17. He made $75 a week. We didn’t get our nails done, he didn’t party with the boys, we scraped by. I got a job at a local hospital as soon as I turned 18 for insurance! 6 weeks later a doctor asked me to work in his pediatric office and not long after that I was in nursing school. I probably did ask my mother-in-law for things for the first baby but never asked a stranger.

We did get Food Stamps when my mother-in-law heard about it, and I only got 1 month allotment because I was too embarrassed to use them. My parents had babies too, so they weren’t any real help except as a babysitter, which believe me was a gift. Things are definitely harder now on young people now, things are more expensive…but most of the people I see in line using the food programs have nails, tattoos, and a cell phone way nicer than mine. Things I would never have dreamed of having as a young mother.

Maybe we only succeeded with little assistance because of my mom helping with babysitting, maybe because we never had much material stuff before the baby, who knows. But I am glad I was a parent in the 70s and not today!! I also want to say if there is a mother who needs help ask a local church, Rotary Club, or Food Bank.

One night around Christmas Sherry and I went to Wal-Mart in our PJs to buy a movie we couldn’t find on the TV. As we left the store a faint voice by the door said, “Could I trouble you for some milk?” She didn’t want money; she had a baby about 10 months old in her arm, and a sweet child about 6 at her side. Turns out she came down from up north to live with her sister, and the sister was arrested, so she was without a job or family available to help. I took her in and told her to get whatever she needed, the only other request she had was dog food. We filled the cart up while Sherry took the other child to buy presents for the mom. People are good hearted and will help.

I see it all the time in the biker community!! And I am sure you do too. But put your jingle bells on and buy a present for Toys for Tots, donate something to a veterans’ cause and/or take a bundle of groceries to the Food Bank. The higher powers will smile on you for your good deeds!