Serving with Smiles

I had so much fun working this shift! This was my first time doing the dinner shift, and I have to say it was a really good time. Beforehand when I'd been volunteering, everything had already been pre-made so what I was doing the most of was just prepping plates and serving food, for this shift I got to see as people were actually making the food and then I would bring it out to people in the dining area. I had some wonderful conversations with the cooks in the back, and Nicole was wonderful to talk to whenever she needed a hand. I served fewer people that night, but some of the people I did serve were ones I recognized from previous shifts, so it was nice to stop and chat with them for a few minutes between serving meals. I have yet to have a negative experience while volunteering there.

I decided to volunteer on Thanksgiving this year because I knew that there would be a lot more people who would be coming to eat with their families, and I had the time available to help. Because it was a holiday, there was a lot more activity this week than there was last week, so I just told them that if they told me what to do then I would do it. I ended up serving food to a handful of families in residency and then helping clean up the kitchen and packing up the food for later. There were a lot of other people volunteering, so it wasn't a huge workload and the women in the kitchen were absolutely lovely to be with. I was eve lucky enough to get a tour of the facility afterwards, which I was really grateful for. I enjoyed volunteering here a lot. It's one of those places where you can directly see the impact you're having on the community, and the culture of the place is wonderful to be in.

I spent the lunch shift working in the kitchen and handing out pre-made lunches to the various families and unhoused individuals currently staying at Room In The Inn. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed speaking with the people there- both the employees and the residents (Raquel was wonderfully helpful and a wonderful conversation partner). The facility was quiet because it was the weekend, but the people I encountered were absolutely lovely, and it was really eye-opening to learn more about how this place operates. I am excited to spend more time there serving the community and becoming more familiar with the people who live there.

It was very humbling and I will be back to serve again.