"The Rain"

     This week was an interesting one at the soup kitchen. Thursday was this month’s hot dog day, which is the first Thursday of every month. (Unless the first day of the month is a Thursday, then it’s the following one.) Hot dog day is a day that many volunteers are needed. We have the hot dog and bun lines, a macaroni salad line, watermelon line, tea line, pastry line (which includes the cakes, Starbucks, croissants, muffins, etc.) water line, chocolate milk line, and even pretzel line. Besides those who live in the Catholic Worker house and work with them, there were three volunteers. All of the work got done, and the food passed out, but it was a little sad to see how few volunteers we had.

     Friday was much better, it was spaghetti day. The cook gets rave reviews on Spaghetti day, it’s a crowd pleaser. There were about fifteen volunteers on the lot that morning, and it went so smooth and fast, it was wonderful. It left ample time to converse and exchange stories with the needy community (and fellow volunteers). To my surprise eight non-regular volunteers came back to the kitchen to help clean and do dishes. It was great to have so much help, on a normal day there are maybe three or four volunteers (including myself) that go back and help with the clean up. It seems to be the least fun job, but it’s when we get to hear more about the inner workings and thoughts of the volunteers and Catholic Worker regulars.
     Saturday there were again quite a few volunteers, and over at the pastry line (which is my favorite spot) it was cake day. We served about fifteen cakes. There were Triple chocolate cakes, caramel cakes, birthday cakes, Cheesecakes, and carrot cakes, just to name a few. I was elbow deep into cake and frosting by the time we were to go back to the house to wash the dishes. My clothes, and somehow my shoes were decorated with different flavors and colors of cake.
     Throughout the week I noticed how happy not only I was but all the volunteers, there was even a sense of joy among the many people lined up in waiting. I’m not implying that it’s normally a bitter sad thing, rarely have I ever seen a volunteer upset or having a bad day at the soup line, but it seemed the joy was showing a little more evident this week than others. I began to feel guilty because of the happiness I had, I think I began to forget the trials and criticisms that the many people that line up on the lot have to face daily. It’s not to say that every human being in the world has a perfect life but them, but I know my life is and probably has been better than theirs at that moment. Never have I had to worry about going hungry, watching my loved ones go hungry, not having a house to come home to (or a trailer), a warm bed to crawl into at the end of the day, or a place I knew I could go to and feel safe. I know there are some there who take what we do for granted, and come when they don’t necessarily have to, but many of them count on that meal, they depend on it. Just as many of us take all the wonderful things we have for granted.
     This week I have an entry from Robert Majors, a regular volunteer at the Catholic Worker. I don’t know if it is entirely important to give a little background on those who help me with my blog, but maybe it will help show the diversity in those who decide to set aside a little time in their life to help those they see need a friendly and hopeful hand. He is a 22 year old student attending classes both at CSN and UNLV; he works a full time job, and volunteers almost daily.



     "I love the rain; I smile at the sight of dark clouds and tears of joy almost fall at the sight and sound of lightning and thunder. Lately, I have been volunteering at the Catholic Worker where throughout the week they stand out at an empty lot with cake, tea, and up to six pots of food to feed around 150 people each day. Lately, I have been teased more and more by the weather, many clouds have appeared and no rain has fallen. I sat and looked at blue skies in depression and wished for it to rain. I wished the rain would last for weeks, as I thought about this wish I realized that the pouring rain would slow down if not completely halt the soup line that the Catholic Worker provides four times a week. Realizing the impact it would have on the many homeless, and how grateful they were to have that one meal out of the day, I rephrased my wish. I wished for it to rain from Sunday to Tuesday, since the Catholic Worker feeds the homeless Wednesday through Saturday. Deeper my thoughts sank into the consequences of such a wish, and the amount of people it would affect. I had a place to get out of the rain when I wanted to; I had dry clothes to change into but others whose pseudo homes would be flooded by rain and whose clothes on their back may be the only dry attire they possess would not have such comfort. Though some would enjoy a break from the heat, that joy would soon be over and as I once again continue on with my life they would struggle to rebuild the little they had accumulated. A task as minimal as finding dry clothes to wear could take days if enough motivation could be gathered. Needless to say I no longer wish for it to rain but a worthy note is the amount of consideration acquired in my personal thoughts towards the homeless, had it not been for the connection that the Catholic Worker provides between the community and the homeless this empathy would not have been obtained."