Pnina Souid
All of the Mitzvah Man volunteers are committed to doing hesed. One volunteer in particular is especially involved with helping needy families. Often, she will send the Mitzvah Man a text when she thinks he can be of help. Working together, they have helped many needy families.
Sarah’s Laundry Woes
Recently, this volunteer texted about a needy woman, we’ll call Sarah, in desperate need of a dryer. With three active children at home there was a lot of laundry! Sarah usually walked with all three kids in tow to the laundromat three times a week. This was, of course, both exhausting and time consuming. It became especially difficult in the winter, when the weather was literally freezing.
Sarah was told that she could get a small dryer for her apartment that the landlord would approve of. However, she could not afford this. She turned her troubles to Hashem, and began to pray that He would help her to get a small dryer. She was told specifically about an appliance called a gas top load dryer. [This is a high-efficiency clothes dryer that uses natural gas or propane to generate heat for drying, typically paired with a top load washer. Together they could fit into her apartment.] Might the Mitzvah Man Organization be able to please provide one for Sarah?
The Mitzvah Man had never heard of such an appliance, and did not know where to find one. He apologized to the volunteer, saying that this was beyond his expertise. Still, his heart went out to Sarah. He did want to help her, but had no idea where to look, and he was busy, as always, with other cases as well..
Twenty-four hours after receiving the text from the volunteer, he received the following email:
To the Rescue!
Hi Michael, I own an appliance store on Coney Island Avenue and am going out of business. There is only one item that I can’t seem to get rid of. It is a gas top load dryer. Do you know anyone who can use it? We will install it for them.
What an amazing example of hashgacha pratit! This man was offering exactly what Sarah needed! The Mitzvah Man immediately texted the volunteer to tell her about the email and that the gas top load dryer would be delivered and installed free of charge..
Later that evening the Mitzvah Man stopped at a store to buy nuts. While waiting online, he received a text from the volunteer.
Woman already received the gas top load dryer. After it was installed, she dried her first load of laundry and she is crying tears of gratefulness and happiness. She is so thankful for all the help and for Hashem answering her prayers.
The Mitzvah Man felt happy and grateful, too! He felt his heart overflowing with excitement and wanted to share the beautiful story. When he got to the counter, he told the story to the woman who rang up his peanuts, and he showed her the text.
He explained that the organization he runs helped this woman get a top load gas dryer for her small apartment. She is emotional from happiness.
The woman at the counter asked what the name was of the organization. He told her that she probably had never heard of it. When pressed, he answered that it is the Mitzvah Man Organization. Her eyes opened wide. She responded, “You made my daughter’s wedding two years ago!”
The Mitzvah Man looked up to the Heavens with a word of thanks. How wonderous it was that Hashem connected the volunteer with Sarah, connected Sarah with the Mitzvah Man, connected the appliance man with the Mitzvah Man, and then connected him with the woman whose daughter’s wedding the Mitzvah Man Organization helped to make two years ago. The Mitzvah Man thought, “What a beautiful display of Divine Providence!”