In the past few days I have had the opportunity to volunteer for Kids Against Hunger and Sharing and Caring Hands. I must admit, both times I found myself trying to hold back tears. There are so many things we Americans take for granted in this life, so when you see people who have less, sometimes much less, sometimes nothing at all, it can weigh heavily on the heart, mind and soul.
At Kids Against Hunger, we packed food for people living in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. Before we packed the food, though, a gentleman gave a short presentation about why we were doing this and the dire situation in Haiti and other poor countries. He did an excellent job speaking to the kids, not only saying all the right things, but also throwing in some humor and getting them to really understand the problems poor people face. I was very impressed. It's exactly the way I would do it. We then saw a short video about poverty and Haiti, and it just really tears at the soul when you see how very little these people have. I am so glad I was a part of helping those poor people to get some food in their stomachs. We got a chance to sample the food, too! It's actually pretty tasty! Aside from the good work, we also had fun while we were doing it.
The Sharing and Caring Hands experience was quite different. In contrast to Kids Against Hunger, we actually got to see the people we were serving as we served the poor and homeless lunch on a hot summer day. I only did two things, cut and butter buns and serve water and milk. Right before we served lunch, the founder of SCH, Mary Jo Copeland, led us in prayer, then went out and led the people in prayer, then talked to them for a few minutes about the greatness of God and how important it is to keep him in our lives. It was a very moving moment. But just looking out at all those people, their scraggly faces, unkempt hair, sometimes raggy clothes and bags for carrying everything they own, was very heart-wrenching. It really puts things into perspective when you see people in such tough circumstances. Even though I am currently unemployed, their situation is far worse than mine. I have food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and the means to pay my bills and buy a little something extra. Some of these people have little or none of the above. I am missing a job; they are literally missing a life.
When it was time for lunch, they came fast and furious. Young, old, black, white, Asian, skinny, not so skinny...all different kinds of people in all different kinds of situations. One woman stood out in particular. She was an older white woman, probably in her late 50s, and she was just sitting there with a blank look on her face, as if to say "What happened? How could this have happened to me?" Most everyone else was socializing, but she was just still, sitting by herself. There was another woman who came up and grabbed about 20 cookies and stuffed them in her bag to take with her, wherever she was going. Where was she going? To a sidewalk? Under a bridge? Who knows. Long after lunch was over, my job wasn't done, because while they were done eating, they weren't done drinking. They kept coming back for more water and milk, and I was furiously trying to keep up. They really appreciated the ice water on a hot summer day. They appreciated everything, were very thankful and nice, and thanked us for coming out to serve.
Truly, they received food, but those of us who served received something far more valuable...a connection with our human brothers and sisters, and the knowledge that we were able to make a difference in their lives, make things better, if only just for a day.
At Kids Against Hunger, we packed food for people living in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. Before we packed the food, though, a gentleman gave a short presentation about why we were doing this and the dire situation in Haiti and other poor countries. He did an excellent job speaking to the kids, not only saying all the right things, but also throwing in some humor and getting them to really understand the problems poor people face. I was very impressed. It's exactly the way I would do it. We then saw a short video about poverty and Haiti, and it just really tears at the soul when you see how very little these people have. I am so glad I was a part of helping those poor people to get some food in their stomachs. We got a chance to sample the food, too! It's actually pretty tasty! Aside from the good work, we also had fun while we were doing it.
The Sharing and Caring Hands experience was quite different. In contrast to Kids Against Hunger, we actually got to see the people we were serving as we served the poor and homeless lunch on a hot summer day. I only did two things, cut and butter buns and serve water and milk. Right before we served lunch, the founder of SCH, Mary Jo Copeland, led us in prayer, then went out and led the people in prayer, then talked to them for a few minutes about the greatness of God and how important it is to keep him in our lives. It was a very moving moment. But just looking out at all those people, their scraggly faces, unkempt hair, sometimes raggy clothes and bags for carrying everything they own, was very heart-wrenching. It really puts things into perspective when you see people in such tough circumstances. Even though I am currently unemployed, their situation is far worse than mine. I have food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and the means to pay my bills and buy a little something extra. Some of these people have little or none of the above. I am missing a job; they are literally missing a life.
When it was time for lunch, they came fast and furious. Young, old, black, white, Asian, skinny, not so skinny...all different kinds of people in all different kinds of situations. One woman stood out in particular. She was an older white woman, probably in her late 50s, and she was just sitting there with a blank look on her face, as if to say "What happened? How could this have happened to me?" Most everyone else was socializing, but she was just still, sitting by herself. There was another woman who came up and grabbed about 20 cookies and stuffed them in her bag to take with her, wherever she was going. Where was she going? To a sidewalk? Under a bridge? Who knows. Long after lunch was over, my job wasn't done, because while they were done eating, they weren't done drinking. They kept coming back for more water and milk, and I was furiously trying to keep up. They really appreciated the ice water on a hot summer day. They appreciated everything, were very thankful and nice, and thanked us for coming out to serve.
Truly, they received food, but those of us who served received something far more valuable...a connection with our human brothers and sisters, and the knowledge that we were able to make a difference in their lives, make things better, if only just for a day.