#HashtagLunchbag
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Photos by Saravasti Zai of Skylight Alchemy
In the daily hustle of life, the loudest noise in our routines seems to be that of the negative things surrounding us. We hear of crime, of conflict, and of other moments where people give into the imperfections that weaken us all...but then there are other moments-those glistening snippets of time where we are reminded of the purity of the innate goodness of humanity.
Daughters of the Road bore witness to many simple acts of kindness compressed into one Saturday morning event: #HashtagLunchbag Orlando.
The #HashtagLunchbag movement is a nationwide initiative aimed at feeding needy members of the community through the simple acts of assembling bagged lunches (lovingly packed into brown paper bags with messages of encouragement penned on the outside) and handing them out around the city.
Saturday, September 24th, 2016 marked the first anniversary of this event in our City Beautiful: Orlando, Florida. The event’s coordinator, Stacey Marine, is a shining example of the capacity of a single person to impact hundreds through an unyielding sense of compassion.
Stacey welcomed us with open arms and we commenced in the lunch-making process. With care and consideration, each bag was filled with handmade sandwiches, pieces of fruit and snacks for later. Children, learning the necessity of being a part of the betterment of our communities, drew pictures and wrote notes on each lunch bag.
After the lunch assembly, we loaded as many lunches as we could into our tour bags, backpacks and strapped to our sissy bars; our bikes carrying cargo more precious than we had ever considered. Crossing paths with some of the youngest participants, we were reminded of the joy one feels when doing something selfless. The children were so proud that they had “passed out all of their bags” that they greeted us with big smiles and high fives as we passed them on our route.
We were touched by the people who worked alongside us, as well as those whom we fed. We met not a single ungrateful person that day. Many of those individuals were surprised at the purity of our intentions: to feed them and to make this day better than the last.
The beautiful faces we saw that day, some new friends and some old, all came together to create an untouchable moment of rejuvenation. Each lunch we passed out took both literal and figurative weight from our shoulders.
We want to wholeheartedly thank Stacey and everyone else who contributed to this month’s #HashtagLunchbagOrlando event. You all gave greater reason to our two-wheeled journeys this past weekend, and we are that much better for it.
To join the next event in our town, follow @Hashtaglunchbagorlando on Instagram, or locate the #HashtagLunchbag event in your city.