Working at the Shelter

Our Third Thursday (charity) Group furnished food for our local homeless shelter yesterday.  We brought Sloppy Joe's, chips, fruit cocktail, and chocolate chip cookies.  I served the cookies!  It was a very interesting experience.  There were a lot of kids.  I had brought glittery bags with a coloring book, crayons, and a little year calendar.  I brought 3 more bags than requested and could have given away 5 or 6 more.
The range of people that came for supper was kind of surprising.  Of course, there were people there who looked completely defeated.  They looked down, wouldn't talk and just sat, ate and left.  There were also people there who came in great clothes with their phones, Ipods, and expensive shoes.  Many had cigarettes.

There were old people and young people.  Pregnant and single mothers.  So many attitudes, so many different kinds of people.  Many people thanked us.  Many ignored us, taking their food and getting to a table as quickly as possible.  Some wore many layers of clothing, some smelled, some looked so happy and some looked so sad.

It would be easy to judge them, to say, oh, they can afford cigarettes but not food?  But, I wasn't there for that, and it wouldn't have been fair to only see what they presented.

I read an article yesterday on the Internet.  I am currently following a blog about a man who has decided to simplify his life by living in a  small motor home and traveling around the country.  In a side piece was an article about how to live in your car.  It was all about how to survive.  If you are going to loose your home, this gave you tips on what you needed, should keep, get rid of and be safe as you live in your car.  I was surprised at how many of the diners yesterday could have fit that article.

It made me more aware of the importance of community/personal gardens.  Not that I am the greatest gardener, or know everything.  But I have had gardens of all sorts all my life.  Food and gardens brings so many people together.  And it helps.  Why not turn a weedy or grass covered place into a garden?  Gardens help the soul as well as the body.    According to the Bible, we started in a garden.  So they can't be bad, right?