She Came Looking for Food

One of the greatest privileges of serving at The Root Cellar has been watching God transform lives—and then having the opportunity to tell those stories.

The stories that follow are just a few glimpses of what God is doing through faithful volunteers, generous supporters, local churches, and neighbors who are choosing to love one another in the name of Jesus.

And every story reminds us of God’s relentless love for our neighbors in Portland and Lewiston.

Thank you for making these stories possible. We hope you'll be encouraged as you read them—and inspired to help write the next chapter.

— Joel

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Priscilla is quite the cook!

Priscilla first came to The Root Cellar looking for food.

For the past few years, she has faithfully stopped by our Friday Food Share in Portland. Like so many of our neighbors, she came carrying needs that went far beyond groceries.

When Nadia, one of our Family Support Specialists, first met her, she remembers someone who looked tired, worn down by life, and understandably guarded. She introduced herself, invited Priscilla to church, and was met with little more than a polite smile.

But that's the beautiful thing about The Root Cellar.

Our team is simply present—week after week—always extending a welcome, relentlessly.

Over the months that followed, Priscilla noticed something different. She told Nadia one day that she appreciated the kindness she consistently showed—not just to her, but to everyone who walked through our doors. If you know Nadia, you know exactly what Priscilla was talking about—a big, welcoming smile that creates a sense of joy in the middle of almost any circumstance.

Nadia and Priscilla

That kindness became trust. Trust became conversation. Conversation became friendship.

As their relationship deepened, Priscilla began sharing her story. She spoke of fear, disappointment, childhood trauma, and years of abuse. When Nadia gently offered to pray for her in the name of Jesus, Priscilla trembled.

She begged her not to.

When Nadia asked why, Priscilla quietly explained that every experience she had ever associated with the name of Jesus had only brought pain into her life.

Not long after that conversation, Priscilla stopped coming to The Root Cellar altogether.

That could have been the end of this story.

But that's not how God's relentless, kind, and welcoming love works.

Nate, our Portland Program Coordinator, led our team in prayer for Priscilla, asking God to continue the work He had already begun in her life.

Several weeks later, she walked back through our doors.

This time, she wasn't asking for groceries.

She asked Nate if he would pray for her.

It was a simple request, but everyone knew something had changed.

From there, God continued opening doors. Priscilla joined one of our women's groups, spent an afternoon with Nadia sharing more of her story, and eventually accepted an invitation to church. She was understandably nervous. Years of broken trust—and even involvement in a cult—had left deep scars.

But she came.

Then she came back.

Before long, she was asking about church before Sunday had even arrived. She accepted a Bible, joined an Ephesians Bible study, became part of a women's discipleship group, and little by little began discovering who Jesus truly is—not through fear, but through the patient love of His people.

And then, in God's perfect timing, Priscilla gave her life to Christ.

The change has been remarkable.

Only a short time earlier, she had insisted she would never volunteer. Today, she helps manage the coffee table during Food Share, welcoming neighbors with the same kindness that first welcomed her.

Nate recently said it this way:

"She is a completely new person in the matter of two months."

I love stories like Priscilla's because they remind me of something we can so easily forget.

People rarely come to The Root Cellar looking for Jesus. They come looking for food, help, friendship, or simply a place where someone knows their name.

But that's often where the Kingdom of God begins to grow.

A meal.

A smile.

A conversation.

A prayer.

An invitation to church.

None of those moments seem extraordinary on their own. But in God's hands, they become the means by which He welcomes people home.

Thank you for being part of that work. Your generosity creates space for relationships to grow, for hope to take root, and for neighbors like Priscilla to discover the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

"Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." — Romans 15:7