Volunteer feeds the hungry at Crosslines Community Outreach
Bill Manary still rides his bike, still mows the grass of neighbors using his push mower and still volunteers at Crosslines’ food pantry monthly with members of his church, Pathways United Methodist Church. He has been a Crosslines volunteer for more than 20 years.
Mr. Manary was born in Webster County and grew up on his family’s 360-acre farm near Marshfield. The farm was homesteaded by his forebears and has been in the Manary family for generations. His nephews now manage it.
He attended a one-room schoolhouse, and at the end of WWII, he went into the Army and “played baseball.” Instead of a rifle, he carried a baseball, glove and bat. He played third base. His batting average was 310. “I’m an athlete,” he affirms. And he’s faithful.
He was discharged from the service in 1947 and “at 22, I accepted Jesus Christ and decided to follow him as my savior.”
Jesus fed the hungry, and so does he. “I enjoy it,” he said, and “fellowship with other volunteers is great. I’m happy. I have a good life and good health.”
” We are grateful to Bill Manary, to all the Pathways volunteers and to the entire congregation. Pathways have hosted Safe to Sleep, Crosslines nightly ministry to homeless women, since its founding more than 20 years ago. In the next year, it will move from Pathways church to Crosslines’ Dorsey Levell Ministry Center at 3055 East Division Street.
Because of Pathways and our other partner churches, Crosslines responds daily to Jesus’ command in Matthew 25. There, he says, to paraphrase, that when we show compassion to the neediest of his beloved family members, we show it to him.
If you would like to volunteer at Crosslines, visit ccozarks.org/volunteer.