Week 51 - Lakeview Pantry and Breaking Bread

Well, folks, we are coming down to it.  It is nearly the end of the year and nearly the end of our giving year as well.  Next week I will talk about the journey and some of the things we have noticed and learned along the way.  I will also answer the question I have been asked most in recent weeks... " What are you going to do when the year is over?"  For now, I want to talk about this week.  To celebrate both Christmas and the fact that we have come this far, we had a double header this week.  We brought a good friend to work with us at Lakeview Pantry and we went back to Breaking Bread, a rather unusual soup kitchen that we have only worked at once before.

Lakeview Pantry was much the same as it has been, but this time we had a lot more fun because we brought along our good friend Melissa, also known as Maloo.  Maloo works at Chicago Shakespeare with me, and mentioned a few weeks ago that she was feeling a strong need to do something for others - she was a bit sick at heart and wanted to help others as a way to fight that feeling.  I have felt the same way over the past year, and service has always made me feel better.  It turns out that the Pantry was just the thing.

When Jen and I go to the Pantry, we almost always do the same jobs.  She gives out the meat and diary stuff and I do canned goods.  This time, we had plenty of volunteers, so Jen and Maloo both worked the meat counter.  It was a really busy night, with all the seats packed an more people coming in later on.  Maloo and Jen worked furiously to keep up, but Maloo loved every minute.  Her father is a butcher and she grew up helping out in his shop, so she was a natural.  She also had a great talent for talking to the patrons and helping them find the meat they really wanted.  Often, we can't tale the time for this level of service, but because they were both working the counter, it worked really well.

Often, when there is a lot of people and therefore a long wait, the patrons get really grumpy, but not this time.  Some of the most complimentary patrons were those who had waited the longest.  I think this is because they were getting food for Christmas, but also because we had a really good group of volunteers who kept things very positive, cheerful and upbeat all night.  This was one of the best nights we have had at the pantry, and that is saying something as Lakeview Pantry is one of our favorite places to work.  I also think Maloo got hooked.  She signed up to work with us next week too!

Our other service this week was at Breaking Bread, a soup kitchen that is part of the LaSalle Street Church's outreach ministry.  If you recall from Week 21, this is a full service kitchen where patrons are encouraged to come in early and socialize.  There is also live music, a room with free clothing, a medical referral service, rapid AIDS testing and spiritual counseling.  The group tries to serves the whole person, mind, body and spirit.  It is a great concept, and it is a shame they only operate one per week.

They are also always booked up.  We had booked this session months ago and decided to keep it even though we had gone to Lakeview Pantry the night before.  As you may recall, we had kind of a dubious experience the first time and we wanted to give it another try.  Before, we were a little put off by the seeming lack of organization but we had a great time serving patrons.

Our experience this time was basically the same as last time.  We got to the kitchen separately, with me arriving later than Jen.  I got there and had to stand around for about 15 minutes before anyone talked to me or gave me a job to do.  Finally one of the volunteers grabbed me and gave me some work, but there was no one really minding the kitchen.  Many of the volunteers were regulars and it was their familiarity with the process that actually got anything to happen.  Eventually, the chef and manager came into the kitchen and got things moving a little more, but we wound up serving about half an hour late.

It seems petty to complain about not being given work, but it is very disconcerting to have a lot of activity happening around you and not being able to contribute.  I felt like I was in the way a lot - much more than I felt useful.  Eventually, we got the jobs we would have for the rest of the night.  Jen was running the dishwasher and I was cleaning pots and pans in great big sinks.  While we usually like jobs that include more contact with patrons, we were happy to have jobs where we knew what to do.  This, again, was almost the same experience we had the last time we worked, but with different jobs.

From that point on, the night moved forward with more intention.  We knew what to do, and the meal got served and enjoyed and cleaned up.  The patrons seemed to really enjoy and appreciate it, and all of the workers were cheerful and had a good time.  Without question, this group does a lot of good and serve very real needs for their patrons.  They are just not very good at managing and welcoming their workers, which made the whole experience a little less pleasant.  Whereas we will certainly keep going back to Lakeview Pantry, we are probably done with this group, at least for a while.  Nonetheless, if you are inspired by their work, I still recommend that you give them a try - just be prepared to find your own way a bit.

You can get information on Lakeview Pantry HERE.

You can get information on Breaking Bread HERE.

Have a Merry Christmas!!!