By Chelsea Quackenbush
Buckner International

As the director of client assistance for the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, Jackie Belt has an endless file of those crazy, God-moment stories.

Part of his job is to meet daily needs of anyone who walks through the doors in East Dallas asking for help. And even when it seems like the need could never be met, God shows up – and so do you.

“The number of clients we serve has gone up since I started,” Belt says. “We help a lot of needy families … I’ve seen kids sleeping in cars, moms losing their babies, kids who come in here hungry. But every day, God surprises us. I see Him work in the most amazing ways.”

Take, for instance, the woman who had just lost her baby and everything she owned in a house fire. She walked into the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, covered in bandages. She had no money. She couldn’t afford a burial for her child, let alone furniture, clothing, food or a new place to live.

Thanks to supporters like you, Buckner was able to give her some money for the funeral services and got her a place to stay while she got back on her feet.

This past fall, the staff was unsure of where they would get the winter coats vulnerable families desperately needed as cold winter nights crept in.

Time was running out as the temperature dropped. Buckner staff prayed and prayed. The very next day, a delivery truck with 700 coats showed up.

The list goes on and on.

“From vulnerable families, I get to see the relief of a need filled, the release of pressure, that sigh … I really like feeling like I’m doing the Lord’s work. It’s like that verse in Matthew: ‘When I was hungry you gave me food. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink.’ We’re called to love our neighbors.”

Perhaps the most significant story is one about a little boy named Corey.

It happened several years ago but Jackie remembers it as if it were yesterday.

One day, a 10-year-old boy, Corey, and his mother went to the warehouse to give Buckner his old wheelchair. He was quadriplegic, and had just received a new wheelchair from Easter Seals. Because Buckner had helped Corey and his mother before, they wanted to give back to someone else, Jackie says.

The wheelchair was fire engine red with all the bells and whistles. It was comfortable and still in great condition. “Corey” was embroidered in gold lettering across the back.

Jackie assured the pair that he would give it to a child in desperate need. He parked the wheelchair in the back of the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid and waited for that special call.

A few weeks later, a school principal called Jackie because she needed a wheelchair for a new little boy at school. He invited her to come look at the red chair. She went to the back by herself and after a few minutes, showed up to Jackie’s office in tears.

“What’s wrong?” Jackie recalls asking her. He thought there was a problem with the chair.

She shook her head and said nothing was wrong. In fact, the wheelchair was perfect.

The little boy who needed the chair? His name was Corey.

To financially support Buckner International's humanitarian aid and crisis relief programs, please visit www.buckner.org/Give-Aid to donate online.