Multicultural Hours - Soup Kitchen

This past weekend Tori and I volunteered at a breakfast soup kitchen on Saturday morning. We worked there for three hours, and were able to talk with people of many different socioeconomic statuses. When we first got there, we were put to work setting up a table with food on it that any of the families could take with them. They get the food from YCAP and any other donations and organizations. With in an hour of breakfast starting, almost all of the food was taken. By being in charge of this station, it gave me the appreciation for the food I have, and made me realize that when you don’t have anything, you’ll take what you can get. Also, I realized that donations are the only way for kitchen like this to operate, and we should be giving as much as we can to support our community members in need.
Before breakfast started, I was in charge of mixing the fruit and placing it in bowls. That morning Tori and I were working in the dishes area. We were in charge of going to and from the tubs in the dining room, and bringing the dirty dishes to the dish washer. We weren’t given much opportunity to take to anyone, besides the other kitchen staff, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t get the chance to talk to any of the customers. However, at this soup kitchen, all the staff gets to eat breakfast after their shift, and we were able to sit amongst the homeless people. We sat at a table with three older men who were very entertaining and insightful. One man was very funny, he had a joke or come back for everything.
I was able to talk with one of the men quite a bit, and he gave me some very interesting advice. First of all, he noticed my curly hair, and told me if I ever was in his situation, I should put my hair into dreadlocks, just like his. It would be more manageable. However, according to him, I am not supposed to get myself in the same situation as he did. Also, he told me not to drink or do drugs because drugs were the reason he was homeless. He said he drinks now, but in moderation, and I should do the same. I have always known those this, but when it comes from someone going that has really hit rock bottom, it can be more influential. I will personally always remember what that man told me while I was working at this soup kitchen.
Even though we weren’t able to directly talk with that many of the customers, we could see the dining room, and who was coming and going, while we were working. I noticed that there were quite a few families with young children eating that morning. It made me realized that I could potentially have student that went without food on a regular basis, and I need to recognize that. I will have student that only get there food from the school, and once they’re at home, they may not know when their next meal will be. It’s a sad topic, but its reality, and we just need to work to help our community as best as we can.
(This was three hours.)