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IBOs Serving Soup to Serve Others
“To whom much is given, much is expected,” says Jean Valerio,
an IBO from New York who every week serves the homeless of
the Bronx with food, drink,
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and a smile through
New York City Relief (NYCR).
New York City’s neediest meet
The Relief Bus every Tuesday morning at 10, pouring in from
within five city blocks for a free meal, a blanket, and help
connecting with resources when they need them the most. For many of
these folks, it’s their only meal of the day. “It’s actually the
best soup in the City,” says Jean Valerio, a nine-year veteran as a
Relief Bus volunteer.
This part of the Bronx is where Jean grew up, before it became a
last resort for the homeless. A successful Diamond in
Amway Global,
she now lives in New Rochelle and drives in to meet The Relief Bus
each week. “People need what we’ve got,” says this 77-year-old
business woman who counts her blessings by giving to others. “I’m
going to go home and be comfortable, but they’re not.” This is her
way of giving back, and she brings friends to help – four other
IBOs.
They stand at a 4-foot by 4-foot window in a converted bus handing
out soup, a roll, and a drink to a steady stream of visitors. The
line lasts until they close up at 2:00 p.m. Most don’t make eye
contact, although after a while regulars get to know you and give a
smile in return. Jean becomes teary while remembering one boy who
had missed her while she was undergoing surgery. When she returned,
he said, “I knew you’d be okay, because I prayed for you.” She has
lots of heart-rending stories to share.
Jean found New York City Relief through her son, Ray Melillo,
another Diamond. He’s been a supporter of The Relief Bus for most of
their 20 years, along with his upline Angelo Nardone. They met the
founder at a
Rangers game and became friends over a conversation about fast
cars.
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Jean Valerio (center) brings a smile to people who have lost hope. |
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Jean joins other Relief Bus volunteers as they provide a
meal and services to the needy.
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As the story is told on their website,
New York City Relief has been in operation since February 1989,
an urban ministry started by
Richard and Dixie Galloway in answer to God’s call after being
moved by scripture: Isaiah 58:6-12. They picked up stakes and moved
to New York from Texas and with a team of volunteers converted a
1971 GMC bus into a mobile resource center to serve the homeless.
They call it “The Relief Bus.” Today, there are two and they make 10
stops a week in the inner city to deliver food, clothing, a Bible
and give referrals to vital resources such as shelter, jobs and
drug/alcohol rehabilitation programs.
Many they meet have given up hope. “Bunches of them are
kids,” Jean notes.
The ministry staff raises 80 percent of their own
funds, and thousands of people have provided support for the
work of The Relief Bus; that’s where Ray, Angelo, and other IBO
leaders help – a lot.
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Although Ray has served food on The Relief Bus and inspired others
to lend a helping hand, he says, “My job is to send the money.” It’s
time, income, and connections that IBOs like Ray can tap into to
help others in need. He’s brought in contributions from companies
and accepted monthly tithes from IBOs. For years, Ray and his wife
Joann have conducted fundraising efforts including a raffle at a
summer rally involving 2,000 to 3,000 IBOs. There are thousands of
volunteers each year, “Someone has to send them out,” says Ray.
Read more about how IBOs contribute to the well being of their
communities in our
Community Support section.
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