I was always taught the importance of reciprocating whenever someone did something nice for me. I guess (in a way) that made us “even” and removed any thought of me “using” someone. Of course, on the other side there was “be careful who you accept favors from.” Throughout my life, I have tried my best to follow these two rules. However, over the course of 50-plus years, I have received help from several people who I have been unable to repay in any tangible way.

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     It was maybe three or four years ago that I was drawn to a Facebook post that stated something along the lines of “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” It is this statement that is the foundation of With Actions and in Truth, Inc., drawn from the Bible verse 1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”

 

     Having graduated from Hampton University (VA) in 1987 with a BS in Accounting, I returned to New York and have managed to make a decent living by working in corporate America for close to three decades. One of my professional duties for 14 years and counting consists of preparing the Charitable Contributions package for the nearly 50 divisions under the umbrella of the Fortune-500 company where I am employed. This has included reviewing the validity of acknowledgements received from respective charities, ranging in size from United Way to an obscure startup, to ensure that the corporation complies with the law.

 

     During the daily grind of riding the buses and subways to and from work in midtown-and-lower-Manhattan, I have come across countless homeless or down-on-their-luck people asking for spare change. There were times when I gave and times when I did not. It could have been as little as whatever coins I had on me or as much as $5 when the spirit really hit me on the D train one evening at the very beginning of 1991.

 

     I used whatever free time I had toward my then love of writing, which culminated in penning and publishing three books:

• A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s (1996)

• A Touch of Classic Soul 2: The Late 1970s (2001)

• The Original Marvelettes: Motown’s Mystery Girl Group (2004)

 

     At the beginning of 2006, I launched a soul music publication titled A Touch of Classic Soul: The Music You Love from Back in the Day.

 

    Over the years, I have heard of various sandwich ministries and food pantries, and even got deeply involved when my church relaunched the former at the beginning of 2014.

 

     Midway through 2015, I asked God for a sign to keep the publication of A Touch of Classic Soul going, after having run it for nine years. Instead, He gave me multiple signs to shut it down. In short, He said to me, “You’ve written three books and put out 43 editions of a publication. Your work in the soul music industry is done. You can struggle with this if you want to, or you can listen to Me, close up shop, and use your time, energy, and resources to feed My people. You know where to get the food, you know where to get the other supplies, and you know where to deliver the packages … Feed My people.” A few weeks later, With Actions and in Truth was born and the corporation quickly secured 501 c (3) tax-exempt non-profit status.

 

     In a relatively short time, we have fed thousands of New Yorkers. Utilizing the kindness and graciousness of volunteers, With Actions and in Truth prepares turkey and cheese sandwiches, adds a piece of fruit and a fruit drink to each package and hands them out, primarily at family shelters.

 

     One evening in the latter days of winter 2015-16, I was at the corner of 49th Street and Madison Avenue waiting for the Express Bus to take me home. It was particularly raw that evening; not necessarily one of the coldest days of the season, but just raw. I saw a relatively young (early 30s maybe) homeless woman sitting against a Starbucks on that corner and said to myself, “Wow, I wish I had a sandwich package on me to give to her.” Here I was a few minutes from getting on a comfortable bus to go to a comfortable home with heat and she was going to be on the street that raw evening for the rest of the night.

 

     Other occurrences like this have inspired With Actions and in Truth to branch out to feeding the homeless. As we continue to grow as an organization, we pound the pavement two weekends a month− armed with sandwich packages−to help those who are literally living on the streets of New York City.

 

     I thank you for taking the time to peruse the pages here. It is my hope that you will find it in your heart to contribute to the growth of an organization that is fully committed to doing the work of the Lord.

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I will leave you with Deuteronomy 15: 10-11 “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord, your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhearted toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”

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Thank you and Be Blessed,

Marc Taylor

President

With Actions and in Truth, Inc.

marc@withactionsandintruth.com