Jun
10
And plenty to drink! Our town has a festival in June, blues music mostly but it’s not something we ever really attend. The temperature in the South is about 105 in June and not pleasant for being outdoors, well for me anyway! Last year our church decided to do a project when the concerts are beginning and people are parking and walking to the gate. We give away free cold water bottles……cold water is good when it’s very hot outside! Hubby & I worked at this last year with some friends and did this year again. I’m not sure how many bottles we had, close to a thousand I think. Last year we had some left over but we did give away all of it this weekend. You’d be surprised how many people won’t take something that’s free! A few tried to pay but we told them it was free, actually I think we were supposed to say that we were demonstrating God’s love in a practical way but occasionally someone would forget to say that! So we tried to remind each other. Some were very glad to get cold water. We were glad that we got to be under the shade of a big tree for most of the time!
I’ll just post a couple of pictures on the extended page if you’re interested.
I found that people were more likely to take them if we stood in the street holding the bottles. If we stayed to the side or by the trucks, a lot of people wouldn’t just come up to ask for them.
I used my trusty book, The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, to find the origin of that line, “water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.” It’s from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the speaker is a sailor who is surrounded by salt water that he cannot drink. But the last explanation of the entry struck me: “these lines are used to describe a situation in which someone is in the midst of plenty but cannot partake of it.”
June 10th, 2007 at 10:48 am
You know…our church does this for a summer festival fair. We really have a great Outreach program. Sounds like great fun.
June 10th, 2007 at 10:52 am
What a nice thing to do! I’ve seen alot of things given away for free, but never cold water during a festival. How practical!
We, as people, are so funny about what we accept as a *gift* from others. I admit, I’m one that wouldn’t walk up to something and take for free, on my own. If someone approaches me, I’m more likely to accept it from them. I have no idea why, though, LOL.
June 10th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
So interesting about the origin of that quote…thanks for that tidbit! At least you got to stay in the shade (heat is definitely not my bag). It is always intersting to give things away for free – people don’t know how to accept gifts, oftentimes. Great thing to do, though!
June 10th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
I love that idea. I also like the pictures 😉
June 10th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
What a good idea and how true about not being able to accept gifts sometimes. Just read something about that elsewhere before coming here and reading this practical example.
June 10th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
I think people are becoming surprised by acts of kindness. So sad that we are suspect when someone is nice!
June 11th, 2007 at 6:40 am
What a wonderful thing to do! You know, I’d be one of those people, too…if someone walked up to me I’d take it, but otherwise no. But it’s not that I’d be suspicious of anyone’s motives or anything. It’s just that I always think that there’s someone out there who needs such and such more than I do.
June 11th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Well, it wasn’t quite 105 but it probably felt like it! It’ll just get hotter too. The water is a good idea and a great outreach. Do you guys wear shirts saying who you are/church/etc so they know it’s not suspect in any way? I see a little sign that says “free water”, does it have the church info on it?
Did you stay for any of the music?!