Ribeye steak is a rare treat for a homeless child.
Thanks to a little tenderness shown by a trucker, paired with a prime cut of compassion from a local businessman, that’s what homeless families with children had Friday for dinner in their apartments at Family Renew Community in Holly Hill and Daytona Beach.
It all started when a morning delivery went awry for over-the-road driver Felix Vasquez. A customer rejected 94 pounds of beef — five whole ribeyes — because the cardboard box in which the vacuum-wrapped slabs were packed had gotten wet. Knowing the meat was just fine, Vasquez wanted to find a charity on his way out of town to make sure it would not go to waste. Someone at Love’s Truck Stop in Ormond Beach suggested he phone Family Renew.
Administrative Assistant Serena Winstead jumped into action as soon as she took the call, meeting Vasquez at Destination Daytona to load the beef into the back of her SUV. Her question when she got back to the office: Did anyone know a good-hearted meat cutter?
Well, as a matter of fact …
Mark and Marcy Anderson of Ray’s Quality Meats on U.S. 1 near Ormond Beach are known for their generosity and community spirit. During the motorcycle rallies that overtake that area twice a year, they let the Cub Scouts take over their parking lot to raise money. And they’re always first in line to give other local small businesses a boost.
The week before the most food-centric holiday of the year, during a very busy Friday lunch rush, Mark took time at his meat market and deli to cut the slabs into steaks suitable for cooking in Family Renew Community’s tiny kitchens. Serena divvied up the bounty to be distributed to the 18 families whose journeys out of homelessness have them at Family Renew Community in Holly Hill and Daytona Beach right now. (Unfortunately, logistics prevented steak delivery to our seven families in DeLand.)
Now that’s kindness, well done.