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Event: St. Anthony's Dining Room - Volunteer Opportunity
Date: June 8, 2019, 9am - 1pm
Description: ...It's more than a meal: it is building community, a place to share stories and smiles. Working with 40-50 fellow volunteers, service shift volunteers help prepare and provide 1,000 - 3,000 meals each day.
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For most of us who attended (we were 6 from YAM-E), it was our first time to volunteer in a place where they serve hot meals to the community. A humbling experience filled with a great time to interact with volunteers and guests alike, while getting a cardio workout as we served 100's of meals to 100's of guests, bused tables, mingled with others.
It really opens your eyes to how much more fortunate we are to have the means to provide for our own selves. Serving those less fortunate, who need food to survive, with their children, or just themselves, not just homeless, but those who look like they have jobs but just don't have enough to eat.. all walks of life entered through those doors and sat down on the chairs, in a safe place, to have a nice hot meal (mostly vegetarian too).
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Anyway, I'd also like to share some of the thoughts of my fellow YAM-E members and what they thought as well, as this was a first experience for us, as a ministry.
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Nini:
Myself, I've done volunteer work similar to this but this is the first where I've seen such a system inside that just continuously had the food for the guests -- and for the volunteers (with a break room downstairs). They had HUGE pots of food just cooking in the kitchen, and a line system of volunteers preparing the trays, as well as a stream of volunteers to serve the trays, and to bus tables. It had a different vibe, maybe because it was a lot of people and in a systematic order, or maybe because it was just continuously bustling. One thing for sure, I did like the food and the people I worked with. And it was nice to greet the guests as I served them their trays. I hope to volunteer again, and during break hope to get a chance to sit down and chat with some of the guests (didn't this time because of pain in my legs LOL).
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Mary:
The training from the St. Anthony's Dining was very good. They were professionals and very well prepared, honest, and to the point.
I loved interacting and feeling the warmth of the people at St. Anthony's while serving them.
Many were very kind. One person prayed with us, many were cheerful, a few looked sad. A whole spectrum of human beings.
Read full reflection here: click here
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Niko:
I've volunteered in several places in the past, but none like St. Anothny's. Their kitchen was a well oiled machine and it was humbling to have the opportunity to volunteer.
There was one encounter remember in particular. I was at the water station with Mary, and this man came up asking for water with a kind, friendly smile. He told us about how back in the day, he used to volunteer in the kitchens. And till this very day he was still at the kitchens! That dedication and sense of community is awe inspiring and I hope in the future YAM-E can reach that some day. It truly was a blessing to be there. ♡
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Carol:
In the past I've volunteered with young middle schoolers and the old dining which was a 1/4 size of current space and had almost no windows it was humid hot tight and busy tables needed to be done lightning speed.
So From start it felt refreshing to walk into the nice new facility, with windows and spacious tables.
It was also nice to feel the caring smiles warmth of other volunteers. Nice reminder and comfort the world has others want to do care for the least. I also wondered if clients knew people serving them do care and wondered if they knew Lord is present in everything. To my delight in the end I got my answers in the prayer with theveryone Indian man (where he explained we all should be thankful for the food and this Christian country that recelves Blessingso of getting served free food vs Contrast with other nonChristian countries).
Read full reflection here: click here
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Jesus:
I'd also like to second a lot of what Mary mentioned.
It was indeed quite an experience to see the people we most often don't ever see in our daily lives, the ones shut away in the most seedy parts of the city. It was indeed very heartbreaking to see so many who were openly and casually using intravenous drugs on our walk to St. Anthony's Dining Room. I was wondering with every person I saw, "what went wrong?" as I just tried by best to offer quick prayers for them. I couldn't help to think of the absolute spiritual poverty present, praying that they may one day in a moment of clarity hear the whisper of Christ, so that they may be free from their addictions.
Read full reflection here: click here
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Until next time! Have a blessed week ahead!
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| Carol, Jaime, Amerina, Jesus, Mary, Nini June 8, 2019 St. Anthony's Dining Room |
Posted By:
- Nini :)
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