Ripple Effect

Ripple Effect

Looking for Help

Anita Browne vividly remembers the whole package of cookies she ate out of the first bag of food she received from Lighthouse, a ministry of Compassion Christian Church that provides food for the needy.

The frosted yellow sugar cookies with sprinkles were the first thing she had eaten in four days. They were also the only food in the bag that her autistic son Jesse would refuse to eat, so she enjoyed the entire package without guilt while sitting in a nearby parking lot. She was so hungry she couldn’t even wait to get home.

Browne went to Lighthouse for food for herself and her son after she found herself alone in 2007 with no means to support her family.

While remembering those dark days, Browne said with a laugh that she still knows the best dumpsters to look in if you’re hungry.

At that time Lighthouse, along with most local food pantries, was closed during the month of July so she was forced to look elsewhere for food. Because of Browne’s experience and the experiences of others, Lighthouse is now open year round.

The food she was given at Lighthouse filled her and her son, but the hug she received along with her bag was even more meaningful.

“I got so much more than food,” Browne said. “I looked ragged, but (the volunteers) didn’t care. They hugged me anyway.”

While at Lighthouse for the first time she poured her heart out to Linda Spann, a longtime Lighthouse volunteer. Spann took the time to talk to her, asked her to memorize Psalm 23 and invited her to church.

Spann said the first time she met her, Browne was embarrassed. She was crying, and she wanted to commit suicide.

“I said, no, it’s not in God’s plan,” Spann said. “She cried and I cried. I just spent time with her assuring her of God’s love and that He had a plan for her. She just needed to wait on Him.”

Spann and other Lighthouse volunteers went into action praying for Browne and checking in with her.

As Browne described how she felt during that first visit to Lighthouse, she began to sob.

“You just feel plain love,” she said. “I just can’t describe how wonderful it is. You feel wanted and needed.”

Now Psalm 23 hangs in her home and is a constant reminder to focus on God, not man and the problems of this world.

Browne, who had moved 28 times in 20 years with her husband who was in the military, had no support system in Savannah. With the support of the volunteers at Lighthouse, however, she started to rebuild her life.

Browne’s voice went up a few notes and her eyes glistened with tears as she explained what the kind words from volunteers at Lighthouse meant.

“It was like somebody was glad to see me,” she said.

Lending a Hand

After just a few weeks of receiving food from Lighthouse, Browne decided it was time to help someone else. She began to volunteer in the ministry that was serving her, working mostly behind the scenes at first.

Now Browne can’t stop smiling. Five years later she is still serving diligently every Monday, greeting people who come into Lighthouse and organizing paperwork.

It’s been a long road, but Browne is reconciling with her husband, and he often serves with her at Lighthouse.

“She and her husband are doing wonderful,” Spann said. “It is just awesome. That whole family turned 180 degrees.”

Browne has a unique understanding of what people are going through when they come to Lighthouse.

“You don’t know what it’s like until you live through it,” she said. “God sent me here so I could understand. I have the gift of making people laugh. I say silly things and cut up a lot. It’s hard to be sad when you’re laughing.”

While speaking, Browne stopped mid-sentence and called out to a woman as she walked in, asking about her daughter. The woman smiled at the recognition and promised to fill her in.

“You can’t help everybody with money, and sometimes they don’t need that,” Browne said. “Sometimes they just need some of your time.”

Browne is generous with what she has: time.

“They touched me and I touched somebody else,” Browne said. “It’s a ripple effect.”

Moving Forward

“It all started with me coming here for food because I was hungry,” Browne said. “Now I have a family.”
She no longer needs the ministry to help feed her family. Browne works in a school lunch room, a perfect fit for her because it allows her to be home when Jesse is home from school.

Jesse is happy to serve with his mother, too, and is flourishing in Unveiled, a ministry of Compassion Christian Church for those with special needs.

Browne pauses as she tries to recall the darkest days of her life.

“Some of it I can’t remember anymore,” she said. “God is saying don’t worry about it, forget it.”

And forget it she does as she focuses her energy on helping others.

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