"Amen"

Round two! This time around, I decided to volunteer at the Centerville Presbyterian Church on central avenue. I went there right after school one day, and I got started right away. The people at the CPC are all basically older men and women who are probably retired and they go there to spend most of their time lending a helping hand. This time I went in by myself, and they had me do all sorts of things.. Which I no longer have photographs of, and I'm sorry about that. When I got to the church, we set up the tables and little snacks and canned foods around the edge of the room walls. These things were being set up for the less fortunate and homeless people that probably had no other hope except this church. After we set up the tables, the staff of about 15 people and I gathered with our eyes closed and said a prayer, followed by an "amen." Then it was time to open the doors, and the lines of people hungry for a plate of food started to pile in. 

I was really surprised by the food that was being served to the people, I thought it would be really nasty cafeteria food but that wasn't the case at all. You could just sense them feeling at ease while they grabbed themselves a plate with two eating utensils. That day, they were serving dishes like mashed potatoes, green beans, bread with butter, chicken breast, and varieties of drinks like; cranberry juice, milk, coffee and water. They also had little deserts at the back of the room, like cakes, cookies, brownies and little goodie bags. I was thrilled to communicate with a man named Joe, probably in his mid 40s that came there every single day. He said that that church was his only hope and the only place he relied on to keep his tummy full, "a happy tummy equals a happy man" he said. I couldn't agree more.

After everyone was done eating, we closed the doors to the church cafeteria and it was time to start cleaning up. The lady at the front gave me an apron and said to follow her. She showed me around the kitchen and I started to help out back there. When everything was all tidied up, I said my goodbyes. That day, I made a couple of friends, and a whole new perspective on things. I'm glad I volunteered there and I'll probably cherish those experiences for years to come. If you're looking for a friendly and easy place to volunteer, I suggest you give the Centerville Presbyterian Church a visit.