What’s LYNAY?

The Mission Imperatives mentioned earlier are written large on the wall of the pantry lobby. We discuss one every pantry day with the volunteers, trying to infuse them with the way we want to operate. Let’s look at the imperatives a little deeper.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself (or LYNAY for short) comes right out the Bible. Jesus commands us to do exactly that. If we can come close to living up to this ideal, each person we encounter will feel loved, accepted, respected. As children of God, every person has dignity that should be honored, not earned. Does this approach prevent conflict? Not always. But it can guide us through that conflict, especially when we remember to see the “other side” of a conflict as a valuable person trying their hardest to do their best. Just like we try to do every day, to varying levels of success.

The concept of LYNAY starts from the moment a neighbor walks in our door for food from the pantry. A volunteer neighbor greets each person, by name if possible, instead of a visitor “interacting” with a clipboard or computer screen. We want each person to be seen and heard, for them to know that all are welcome and all are loved in this space.

Come see how we are living out these imperatives as we strive to help our neighbor.