One morning this summer I needed to get a ride into work after dropping my car off to get the windshield replaced. My driver, Sharif, who is originally from Egypt but has lived in the United States for several decades now, did not recognize the name Care & Share initially. The moment we reached the intersection in front of the plaza he became very excited and said “I know Care & Share!” He talked about how we have everything and how nice it is to shop here. What he loves the most about Care & Share are the signs posted in front of the shoppes that state “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor”. “It’s even in Arabic!” he exclaimed. I was not expecting that to be the highlight of his experience but that small gesture of inclusiveness made a huge impact on him and his sense of belonging in our community.
Our mission statement is “to care for others and share our faith and resources locally and globally through MCC in the name of Christ.” There are no stipulations or requirements. We are here to serve everyone and welcome everyone to serve alongside us, just as Jesus did. Recognizing and respecting others’ differences allows us to be more mindful, more understanding, and more compassionate. We are so fortunate to have such a diverse team of individuals who come together to help create a better world!
We will soon be installing updated signage like the one Sharif commented on. We reached out to the Souderton Area School District to find out what the top languages spoken in the school district are. You will soon see the greeting in Vietnamese and Russian, in addition to the Spanish, Arabic, and English text currently on the sign. We will have a few yard signs with the same welcoming message for sale in the Variety Shoppe. Thank you for always welcoming everyone with the universal language of a smile!
More info on how the “We’re Glad You’re our Neighbor” sign started – CLICK HERE