A 2nd Mile Helping Hands Story:
Branson’s Own Jan and John Prince!
We all want our lives to matter. We get the most joy and make the biggest difference when we use our God-given abilities to help and serve others. Last May, we in CORE’s 2nd Mile Program became even more determined to make a difference by announcing our program to help deliver groceries without charge to our neighbors in the community. We were not disappointed. We’ve been able to meet amazingly wonderful people like Jan and John Prince!
The Princes moved to Branson in 2012 from Clinton, Missouri, after spending their working lives in academia. Once they decided to retire, it was time to move to warmer climates. Jan reports that they like Branson very much, “It has a small town feel with big city opportunities as far as shopping and stores.” Also, when company comes to town, they are able to take in a show. All in all, their retirement was going swimmingly well – and then the corona virus hit.
Like so many across our great nation, Jan and John were faced with some hard choices about how to respond to the lockdown and added public safety measures. They wanted to avoid getting sick and do their part to help keep everybody safe. Fortunately, while on her church’s Facebook page, Jan spied CORE’s announcement saying we would deliver groceries for no charge. She called and began scheduling weekly deliveries.
The process is simple. For Jan, she orders her groceries online at Country Mart designating the day and approximate time for pickup. Then she calls CORE, and we pick them up. All while taking appropriate safety precautions, we deliver them straight to the door. As Jan relates, “She sets them on the porch for us. She wears a mask. That’s what we really need. . . . I think it’s great!”
Despite the adversity, the Princes aren’t about to let the virus stop them from living life. They just pay attention to safety and “try to be as cautious as we can” while out and about. They make extra-good use of their time at home as well. Jan quilts and hand-stitches, joins in church Zoom meetings, and loves to cook. John landscapes and works on the house. They also look forward to doing some traveling, hopefully soon. John is upgrading their travel trailer to make it warmer in case they have the chance to get away this winter. Their daughter is coming for a visit over Thanksgiving, too, so the family can be together.
Jan expressed genuine appreciation to the 2nd Mile program for being willing to help during these challenging times: “I want CORE to know, I don’t ever want them to underestimate that what they’re doing is not important. It’s very important. I’m so thankful that we have someone we can call to do this for us.” She also gives a monetary gift for pickups. We are pleasantly surprised by the Princes’ kind and pure generosity, but we do remind everybody seeking our help to deliver groceries that payment is not required! Above all, we in the 2nd Mile program express our sincerest thanks to Jan and John for giving us the opportunity to serve. That’s what we’re all about – helping marvelous people like the Princes who make Branson such a wonderful place!