Saturday Soup Kitchen

Sunday, October 31, 2010                                                                                                Day 66

On Saturday, October the 30th , yesterday, another student I helped out in the local soup kitchen. I’ve always been interested in volunteering, and have often participated, but I had always contributed through something else. When I helped it was usually through another organization, such as a school, a Girl Scout troupe or extra-curricular. This time, I washed the food, watched it go in the oven and then ladled it out into bowls for people. Real, living, breathing people. Not the dry offhand comment of “the less fortunate” uttered once and then forgotten when the conversation turns to ethics or politics, but real relatable people. Women with creases around their eyes that smiled and worried in equal measure, a few children, impatient and indignant as I remember being and some men who merely approached us with a tray, ate inconspicuously and then left as if they’d never been there.
The staff workers themselves were very agreeable and, with the exception of one old woman who seemed to dislike us (understandable as we didn’t know what to do and our language skills are still shaky), welcomed us as family. Taylor Kendrick (the other student, find out more here) speaks very little (*cough cough* no) Italian so I had to communicate for both of us. I discovered, to my surprise and happiness that I had few problems getting my point across.
After a good 5 hours of work, they invited us to eat with them. It was a friendly gesture and when we had to leave they welcomed us to come back whenever we could. Once everyone gets a chance to volunteer I’ll definitely volunteer to go again.
That’s all for now
xx