It’s 6AM; Do you know where your Onions Are?

It’s 6 AM on a Saturday. Ocala is dark, quiet, and for most sensible people, still tucked in bed. But not for some “Gateway to Hope” volunteers.

If you peer into our Gateway to Hope parking lots, you’d see a flurry of shadowy figures, the rumble of carts, and the soft thud of cardboard boxes. You will hear a forklift humming away. You’d see the Saturday morning crew, in their natural habitat: surrounded by pallets of produce, guided by the glow of lights and a whole lot of coffee. They know exactly where your onions are! They’re getting them ready for you.

It’s 6AM; Do you know where your Onions are? While onions are being sorted, something else is happening. Laughter echoes as we untangle a knot of produce bags. A loud “halleluiah” echoes from Alvin across the entire work area. In these early, dark hours, community is being built. This is our take on the old public service announcement, “It’s 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?” Only our version is a little less about curfews and a little more about… well, root vegetables and God.

There’s a profound truth humor of our 6 AM onion hunt: We serve a God who is always prepared, always at work long before we arrive. God is the ultimate early-riser, already at work in the darkness long before set our alarms. As we are preparing bags and boxes of food, God was already been at work long ago preparing hearts and blessings for you, including onions.

With onion-scented hands, Your Gateway to Hope Team