Officer Chris DeFlorio serves as a Police Officer with the NYPD. He spent years as a paramedic, then transitioned to serving as one of New York’s finest on the streets of Harlem. If that was all that you knew about Officer DeFlorio, you might assume that he was a bit jaded, crusty or cynical. But that isn’t the case at all. His heart for God and for serving vulnerable people is huge!
Chris proves the truth of Proverbs 22:9: “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” He has been blessed in many ways by sharing his heart, his time and his material possessions with those who are in need. He often walks to Times Square after work instead of taking the Subway so that he can check in on some of the homeless people he has befriended. God is using him to reveal His love to those who are struggling with addiction, despair and homelessness, and Chris reports that he is the one who walks away blessed from many of these encounters.
Officer DeFlorio recently traveled to Rwanda to partner with Hope Haven to help transform Rwandan families through education and discipleship. While in Rwanda, Chris spoke to hundreds of participants during our monthly outreach event, sharing his story as a testimony of God’s grace. He served lunch to students, met with one of our “Men of Hope” families to learn more about their needs and even jumped in to help a few local men push a bicycle loaded with rock up a steep incline.
When I asked Chris what God has done in his life while serving in Rwanda, he said, “God has really been opening my eyes, showing me that there is a great need in the world outside of myself and my own life.”
Chris continued by sharing how his life was touched by a trip to the local well. He was reminded how much many of us take access to water for granted. Chris wasn’t the first volunteer to offer this reflection to me—it seems to be a common refrain.
May God help each one of us remember how much we have been blessed, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to offer our lives to reveal His love to those he has placed in our paths. The blessings flow both ways!