© 2010 McKinneyNews.net
Credit: Angie Bado
President / Founder
Hungry Pastor Can Now Go Home!
Goal achieved! Pastor Joel Miller, can now go home!
After having only water for 18 days, today, November 18, Miller can go home and can once again enjoy a meal! Residents of McKinney and the surrounding areas have donated more than 36,000 food items, more than the original goal of 30,000, freeing Miller to eat and to leave the back of the tractor trailer bed where he had been living.
Original story below:
Joel Miller, M.Div, is sitting, crossed legged and surrounded by canned goods, in the back of the large truck trailer. It's obvious that Miller seems a bit drained, but the minute "company" comes by, his face breaks into a wide smile and he makes the effort to jump to the ground to help donors deliver the "goods" - mostly canned goods. He becomes animated, obviously enjoying the chat time with the many McKinney residents who are stopping by to donate food to the McKinney Food Drive.
So what is Miller up to? Quite simply, Miller is on a hunger strike and today, Friday, November 13, is his thirteenth day to go without food, subsisting only on water, until his dream of receiving 30,000 items of non-perishable food is met. The man is on a mission - to feed those residents in the area who are unable to supply food for their families, particularly at this time of year.
© 2010 McKinneyNews.net
Credit: Angie Bado
President / Founder
"No matter how long it takes, I'll be here until we reach that 30,000 goal and today we are half way there," Miller says.
Miller shared that on October 12, he read an article in the Dallas Morning News that caused him to want to do something to make a difference. The article that Miller refers to pointed out that many food banks in the metropolitan area are simply not equipped to fill the increased and continuous demand they are experiencing due to the economic down turn. There is also a 60 day or more back-log in the eligibility-screening for individuals who are applying for food stamps from the state. These factors have many families frustrated, hungry and worried about where their next meal will come from.
© 2010 McKinneyNews.net
Credit: Angie Bado
President / Founder
"I grew up knowing what it was like to have salt and pepper sandwiches and I know what these people are experiencing firsthand," commented Miller passionately. "I was moved to want to do something."
Miller says three things drove him to his decision to take action.
"I know what it's like for a child to experience hunger, I've seen first hand, in Africa and in Central America, the devastation of not having food and - as a parent of four kids, what would I do if I couldn't feed them?"
© 2010 McKinneyNews.net
Credit: Angie Bado
President / Founder
An ordained minister and pastor for 13 years, Miller moved to McKinney six months ago to start a new church. The Summit, an inter-denominational church, will open in February of 2010.
"I feel like I'm home here," Miller, who was born in Dallas, but spent most of his growing up years in Kentucky, said of coming to McKinney.
Suffering from headaches, weakness, lack of energy and sleeping in the tractor trailer seems a small price to pay, Miller acknowledges.
"I am not going to eat so others can't eat."
What can you do to bring Joel Miller home? Stop by the donation center in the parking lot in at Craig Crossing Plaza, 3190 S. Central Expressway Dr., (south of Eldorado) and drop off some non-perishable food items today. For more information www.mckinneyfooddrive.com
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