Donuts for the Desperate

Maite and Verity are two students at Pomona College (CA) who wanted to demonstrate the gospel through their actions. One night, Verity received a phone call from Maite. The big organic chemistry midterm was happening the following day and there were many stressed-out sophomores who were studying feverishly. Maite and Verity decided on a way to serve the 85 students studying for the exam. Along with a few other students, they drove to The Donut Man, a local and somewhat legendary 24-hour donut shop, and purchased enough donuts for the entire class. Upon returning to campus, they gathered a few more I-V friends, prayed together, and then went out to track down as many of the organic chemistry students as they could find.

It turned out to be a great night! Many bleary-eyed students were taken aback by the unexpected arrival of donut-bearing visitors. Over and over again, they were asked, “Why are you doing this?” As a result, Maite and Verity were able to share with several of their classmates about the love of Christ, and how he came not to be served, but to serve.

—Ken Zell is the I-V staff team leader at Pomona College in California. His interests include playing golf, hiking, and spending time with his wife Ana Liza and son Jackson.