We started Friday at 6am for an early journey to serve breakfast at a wonderful organization called SOME (So Others Might Eat). We gathered in a small conference room as usual for our orientation. This included a video history of SOME, which we discovered was started by a priest who saw a need in his neighborhood and responded. This is similar to what we have heard over and over again at other service sites in DC.
Our volunteer leader stressed that the most important thing she can tell the volunteer groups is that ALL people deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. We all have had many opportunities throughout our service to gain empathy and understanding of what it would mean to be on the receiving end of the services we’re helping to provide.
Throughout the course of a few hours at SOME, we partnered with staff and volunteers to serve about 400 hot meals. Guests came through the dining room in three separate shifts. In between each shift we worked together to clean and reset all the tables. Our jobs ranged from serving, to washing dishes, to scraping plates, to filling coffee.
All in all, this week has been filled with service, education, empathy, and many lessons about justice. We have all been encouraged and challenged to find ways to bring service and justice to Rochester.
— Ann Leland
p.s. Interested in learning more about the extensive outreach SOME extends to DC neighbors? Click here to watch their welcome video.
