Serving in the soup kitchen is always an uplifting experience. It reminds me of the many wonderful blessings I enjoy, and I get to meet new people.
There are so many people who volunteer to work at the soup kitchen that we don’t always get the opportunity, so I take it whenever I can.
As a matter of fact, yesterday there were so many volunteers that they did a lottery to send some people home. I was so grateful to be able to stay and witness the happenings of the day.
This is a blog post about volunteering to work at the soup kitchen.
I was touched by three specific people at the soup kitchen this day.
1. The first person who touched my life was the Head Cook, who is also one of the directors of the Soup Kitchen. As she gave us training that day, she emphasized that it didn’t matter if the person pulled up in a Rolls-Royce or crawled in on their knees, we didn’t have the right to judge these people.
We don’t know their backstories and if they needed a meal or a warm place to get out of the harsh elements then we were going to serve them. We never know, maybe someday we will need a free meal, maybe we will be down on our luck.
She also discussed how blessed she felt and how it was her responsibility to serve, she said it was the purpose of life to serve each other. I loved the way this woman served.
Once the patrons started coming in, she turned all the food prep over to the workers and she became one of the servers. She wanted to be with the patrons. She treated them like they were in a 5-star restaurant. She teased them, complemented them, and got to know more about them. You could tell there were some people who knew her well. One man even asked when her next shift was and said he would definitely be back that day, especially after he found out they would be serving biscuits and gravy that day. It was so cute to watch their interactions.
2. The second person who touched my life was a 13-year-old girl who came to volunteer with her mother. She loved being able to serve these people. Once she learned her job, she was amazing and never got distracted. She did every part perfectly.
When a new customer walked in, she was right there asking them what they wanted to drink. She made sure everyone got their meals and whenever someone left the building, she was right there setting up a new placemat with utensils. She had a smile the whole time and truly loved serving her fellow men and women. It was a treat to witness these interactions.
3. The last person who touched my life on this day was a young woman who came to eat at the soup kitchen. She was dressed nice, had a cute coat, and looked the best she possibly could under her circumstances.
Each time I brought her something, she was so appreciative and complimentary. At one point, I told the girl how beautiful her hair looked that day. Her and her friend were happy and smiling.
Right before they left, the girl came up to me and asked me if Jennifer (one of the directors) was there. When I told her that she wasn’t, she proceeded to tell me that she had been talking to Jennifer and she wants to volunteer at the soup kitchen. She then proceeded to introduce herself and shook my hand. She was adorable.
I thought how amazing it was that someone who didn’t have much would want to help serve others. It was so incredible to me. I, again, was grateful I had complimented her because it gave her the courage to come up and talk to me.
It was a wonderful experience volunteering at the soup kitchen. I learn so much every time I serve. Not only does it remind me of my blessings, but it takes me out of my comfort zone and gives me the courage to serve again. Service is one of the best ways to make new friends. Service blesses our lives as well as those around us. Let’s serve.
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