First thing this morning – 6 am – Ray and I headed over to St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal church in Hollywood to help cook for the Breakfast Club, our homeless feeding program there. We joined other volunteers to make and serve homemade bread pudding, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, grilled leeks and onions, and sliced turkey. We also had fresh apples and oranges to give away, plus loaves of bread.
Our patrons – the homeless folks – are a mixture of regulars and new faces. One is a man named Ron who also attends our church. He has been recovering from a broken foot and has now graduated from crutches to a cane. This is good news to hear since he has been struggling with getting around from place to place due to his injury. Another man, Wayne, is looking for a room to rent. He currently is sleeping on the floor in a friend’s rented room. He can pay up to $650/month if anyone knows of anything in the LA area. Many people stop by the kitchen to thank us for volunteering our time. “The Lord will bless you,” one man said. “This food is the best around,” another added. These little bits of encouragement keep all of us volunteers coming back the second and fourth Saturday of every month. There is a sense of shared experience.
One of the best parts of the Breakfast Club is the camaraderie among the volunteers. We tease each other, help each other, listen to the latest news from one another’s lives. We also console each other during difficult times and laugh with gusto when life is good.
I feel lucky to work with such fine people and to serve a population who truly needs our help. No matter how sleepy I might be when I arrive, it’s not long before my energy has perked up and I’m glad I’m there. I go away each time feeling as if I have received more than I have given.
Just as it is written: “And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday.”
All I can say is, “Amen.”
A Few of Our Faithful Volunteers in the Kitchen
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