Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers: A Tale of Abundance and Hope at the TenTen Center
Since I started at YFC in January, one prayer request has remained the same: more food.
The youth who come to the TenTen Center are not just typically hungry like most teenagers—they are experiencing genuine nutritional deficiencies. Many of our youth leave the center after a long day of school, wondering if there will be food at home for them, and if there is, it’s usually a range of ramen and pizza. For years, Spokane YFC’s most significant ministry expense has been food. Recognizing that hunger must be addressed so that children can focus effectively, we have prioritized meals, even at a considerable cost.
Many of our youth exhibit something called a “Scarcity Mindset.” A scarcity mindset is a psychological condition that develops when people consistently don’t meet their basic needs, leading them to live as if this will always be the case. Stealing, stockpiling, and taking free things even when they are not needed are common behaviors among kids who have been or are struggling with scarcity. This mindset not only affects their immediate behavior but also their long-term outlook on life. Spokane YFC strives to provide a meal every time the center is open and sends home kids with take-home bags whenever they need them. We know kids aren’t able to think about what homework is due tomorrow, let alone have hope for their future when they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
This summer, we learned that Feed Spokane would partner with us. After an initial meeting, Feed Spokane graciously invited us to come on a Tuesday distribution day. We were shocked to see that this was not just some food but 500 pounds of grocery store and restaurant products. We didn’t have room in our kitchen for all this goodness. We sent kids home with boxes of fresh and premade foods. They got to pick out what they wanted and leave with a sense of confidence. As a staff, we were quickly confronted with the reality that although we believed God might answer our prayer for food, we did not believe or expect that He would answer our prayer in such abundance. This abundance made us immediately consider what other areas of life we trusted God to keep us afloat and not to provide abundantly.
Our Hillyard youth center is nicknamed the “TenTen Center” after John 10:10: “The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come to give life and life to the full.” Jesus didn’t come to give life; He came to give life and life abundantly. The building is a testament to God’s provision in fullness and abundance in all areas of our lives. This principle is why we run a holistic ministry model: the Lord’s provision isn’t merely physical or spiritual; it’s both and everything in between. In this way, we try to be open-handed with our food because we know that God provides it freely to us. There is no lack in the Kingdom of God. Our Father is a good Father who provides good gifts in abundance, and we hope to portray this to the kids we serve.
Giving freely looks different for us now than it did last year. Today, we ask kids if they can take home food rather than waiting for them to ask us. Kids are taking home grocery bags of milk, chicken, and strawberries, and we’re meeting parents who stop by because it’s too much for the kids to carry. We transitioned a storage closet into a food pantry and bought an extra deep freezer to keep what we couldn’t send home. We’ve seen the impact of this program on kids like Tea, who used to struggle with hunger but now has the energy to focus on school and other activities. These success stories are a testament to the difference your support can make.
Spokane YFC is growing in our understanding of abundance in the Kingdom of God. In the same way that there is no shortage of food at the moment, there’s also no shortage of spiritual things. Knowing God will provide, we can freely give hope, prayer, attention, and energy.
Food is essential, but it’s just one piece of our ministry. When you support Spokane YFC, you are not just helping kids get fed. You are helping break the cycle of scarcity and provide consistency in the lives of youth who have never had any. Without your ongoing support, we could not have transitioned the storage closet into a food pantry and bought an extra-deep freezer. These tangible changes are a direct result of your generosity.
If you want to learn more about Feed Spokane and the incredible work they are doing in our community through partners like YFC, learn more here.