Being Neighborly

I apologize. After serving a free, hot meal to 331 Rapids-area residents in need tonight, my witchy attitude and all my previous complaints this week are not justified.


Not one bit.

The Neighborhood Table is a nonprofit, charitable organization staffed by volunteers who provide free meals to anyone in need every Thursday at a church downtown. At least 20 volunteers from community organizations help at each meal. We share not only a meal, but also an atmosphere of hospitality and mutual respect.

This week, my church – First English Lutheran – was the community group sponsoring the meal. The timing was perfect as my confirmation student, Emily, and I had to complete our time together with a student-mentor service project. I picked her up after school for our 2-hour shift and we were on our way to do some good.

By the start at 4:30 p.m., the tables had reached their 100-person seating capacity and there was a line out the door. At first we helped serve drinks and get whatever else the diners needed. Then, when I stopped in the kitchen, I realized they were very short-handed. So Emily stayed out in the dining area and worked there while I pulled KP.

While they had one of those automatic dish-washing machines that Carter uses at work, I was not qualified to man it. Contrary to popular belief in my house, I did know how to scrape plates and bowls and load them up for washing. There was no room for Martha Stewart or her TV cleanup crew in this kitchen.

It was hot, busy work and the time flew. We had to keep pace since there were only so many plates, glasses, etc. I knew we'd passed the 100-people mark easily, based on the full house. I was astounded later that in total we served 331 meals. That is a lot of people in our little community that, for one reason or another, needed that free, hot meal tonight.

On our way back to Emily's house, we discussed our service work.

We both agreed it was not that difficult for us to do. In other words, it's not so hard to help others so why not do that more often?? We also realize that even if we know where our next meals are coming from, having and supporting programs like Neighborhood Table is beneficial for those who don't.

As expected, we both realize we have many blessings in our lives. We are fortunate we aren't hungry, impoverished or disabled in some way.

We are fortunate there are opportunities for us to help those who are.

Opportunities to be neighborly.