Free food here. in My this and that
- March 9, 2015, 1:58 p.m.
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- Public
The church where I work is located in the downtown of the city. So we get A LOT of people in off the streets. Sometimes they just sit and need a place to warm up, but usually they come in looking for help in the form of food or money.
We try not to give out money, because often it is used for things that aren’t necessary to living (such as drugs or alcohol), but when we have left over food from banquets or our regular weekly meetings we package it up and freeze it in meal size portions.
It’s good to help, and food is something we know that people need. Our building caretakers, who are quite busy in the building, take time away from their tasks to bring the food from the freezer to the office for each person who comes in to ask.
It’s usually not that big of a deal. But today we’ve probably had 10 groups of people come in at different times! I wonder what it is today… and why they prefer frozen meals to the hot delicious meals that are provided by the five locations only blocks from here that are way more equipped to be feeding people. I wonder what it is about me, that gets so annoyed when I feel we are being taken advantage of. It’s not like it’s my food, it’s not like it hurts me at all to help out. But sometimes I just get so frustrated when I see 20+ people in a day wanting “handouts”.
Perhaps it’s the warm weather bringing them out today. Tomorrow is food bank day, when Harvest comes and gives out food, using one of our rooms; so I’m sure to get many more people coming in who don’t have appointments and are looking for food.
Sometimes it’s frustrating; seeing the same people every week. Are we helping or enabling. But we don’t want anyone to starve… in Canada, a place that throws food away like it’s no big deal, that would be ridiculous.
Sapphire Knight ⋅ March 09, 2015
I kinda disagree with the above noter. They can be any or all of those of things and most probably are. But some people do want the handouts, to be enabled. I wish I had an answer for u, I don't but I think u asking yourself questions like these will help you help others a lot more in the long run than if u weren't asking them.
shneaker ⋅ March 11, 2015
I ran a food ministry for twenty three years. People want people to talk to them to engage them. We used to see the same people every week too. When we didn't see them we worried. But change takes time. I've seen lives changed over the years and it's a hard road. These people are not just addicts alcoholics mentally ill. These are brothers sisters father mothers aunts uncles. Look past the issues and look at the people. Yes it's tiring but Christ died on the cross for these people just like he did for you and me. And I'm still messed up.
Gurly239 shneaker ⋅ March 12, 2015
Normally it's no problem. Just every once in a while (especially when I'm PMSy) when a person comes in and without any respect just says "I'm hungry" it gets to me. Especially when it happens multiple times in a day. Now if I worked at a place where this was what I was hired to do, no problem... it's just sometimes when it interrupts the many other things I need to do in a day too many times, I start to wonder why we have other systems in place in the city if they aren't being utilized, or if they aren't actually helping these people.
But honestly, for the most part it doesn't bother me. You happened to read me on just the right bad day.
shneaker Gurly239 ⋅ March 12, 2015
Sometimes (more often than not lately) I have bad days too. And people may be coming to you because they feel welcomed there OR maybe they want to be connected. A lot of feeding programs have strings attached or barriers that prevent people from using them.
I complain a lot about things that are wrong so I do apologize. Having lived on the streets and having served people living on the streets, sometimes makes me vocal of how we as people treat others.
chel_c ⋅ March 11, 2015
i feel the same way Quinn! its frustrating and such a fine line to walk.