Finding Hope in Grief

During WARM’s curbside ministry last October, a mother and daughter arrived seeking emergency food assistance. They came quietly, carrying burdens far heavier than the groceries they hoped to receive.

Leanne* was a single parent walking through a painful divorce and raising her daughter, Olivia*, in northwest Westerville. Olivia was very ill, facing severe digestive complications that left her weak and dependent on a wheelchair. They came simply because they needed food.

Support Coach Grady Smith and LifePoint Pastor Marc Shields were serving on the WARM Prayer Team. Before they left, Pastor Marc asked

if he could pray for them. Without hesitation, Leanne said yes.

As prayer was spoken over mother and daughter, tears streamed down their faces. In the middle of uncertainty and exhaustion, they felt seen. They felt cared for. They felt hope.

What began as a visit for food soon became something deeper.

They returned regularly to WARM, and a few weeks later, Pastor Marc invited them to a LifePoint church service where baptisms were taking place. Olivia had shared that she longed to be around girls her own age and hoped she might find friendship and belonging.

They came, and they loved it!

God was clearly moving in their hearts. Leanne again wept during the service, and Olivia, smiling from her wheelchair, radiated joy. They said they wanted to keep coming back.

The following week, they did. Several college-aged young women immediately embraced Olivia, warmly engaging her and making her feel included. For a mother who felt so alone, it was a gift beyond measure. She was deeply grateful just to sit in a place where her daughter was welcomed and loved.

Then, suddenly, WARM lost contact.

WARM later learned that both mother and daughter were ill, and Olivia was hospitalized. Soon after, Pastor Marc received a voicemail from Leanne. She shared that things were not looking good and she was afraid. She asked if he would come.

That Thursday afternoon, Pastor Marc stood beside Olivia’s hospital bed. She was no longer visibly responsive. However, when he gently placed his hand over hers, she moved. It was a small motion, but it felt like she was saying, “I hear you.”

Pastor Marc prayed for peace, for comfort, and for the nearness of Christ. Just after 5:00 p.m., Olivia passed away.

Although Leanne experienced devastating loss and heartbreak, God was present in every detail.

In the weeks before her passing, Olivia was surrounded by prayer. She experienced friendship. She worshiped. She saw baptisms—beautiful symbols of death and resurrection, of old life made new. She was welcomed into community. She was loved.

During this difficult time, Leanne also did not walk alone. Support Coach Grady, Pastor Marc, WARM’s Prayer Team, and LifePoint church members surrounded her. Since that time, she has attended church faithfully every week. She now has a community, something she needed as she grieved the loss of her daughter.

What began as a visit for emergency food assistance became an open door to connection, prayer, grace, and abiding hope. At WARM, we often provide food for the body. But sometimes, God uses those simple acts of compassion to nourish the soul.

Because of your generosity, WARM can show up—not just with groceries, but with presence, with prayer, and with the kind of steady, faithful love that reflects something eternal. Every gift, every month, every act of quiet faithfulness is a living declaration that hope is stronger than hardship.

Leanne's story is still unfolding. And so is yours.

*Names have been changed