8th Graders Serve at the Cathedral Soup Kitchen

Working at the soup kitchen was really cool. It wasn’t very hard work but I could tell it meant a lot to the people there. Most of the time I was doing jobs that was in the back, like carrying boxes and things like that. I served in the front, too. Everybody looked really happy. None of the people that came to eat were mean or bitter. Everybody seemed to know each other. It seemed more like a place to hang out with friends than a soup kitchen. Everyone said thank you and didn’t complain about the food. A lot of people used a lot of sugar on their cereal. I found out that they were probably dealing with an addiction. Almost everyone took some food with them when they left so they could eat it later. That just shows how hard it is to get a meal sometimes. I learned that I’m really lucky to have a house and a meal to eat everyday.
(Mark B.)

My reflection on the Cathedral Soup Kitchen, wow so much to say. Well, the first thing was that it was so much fun. I have never enjoyed volunteering as much as I did last Friday. Everyone there was just so nice. I can’t wait to go back again next year. To be honest when I first arrived I was pretty nervous. But I got over that really quick. All the volunteers helping simply welcomed me in like a family member. They were so nice. After we said a prayer Mark, Chandler, and I were assigned jobs to do. I was assigned to pass out watermelon. I’m not much of a watermelon eater but pretty much everyone there loved watermelon. Some people took at least 3 to 4 pieces at a time but later on put the extras in a bag for later. I think it is sad that there has to be people living on the streets and being homeless especially in this type of season. At the soup kitchen they had breakfast between 9-10 A.M. and just seeing people getting their food and asking me how I am with smiles on their faces was great. Everyone got along great. People were joking and laughing while eating and having a good time. At one point we ran out of coffee and one of the men eating breakfast volunteered to help carry the empty can out to get a new one, which was really nice to do. When I left the soup kitchen I felt so good inside that I had done something really good for someone, and lucky that I don’t have to worry about that kind of thing in my life.
(Sara C.)

My service at the Cathedral soup kitchen was just how I had expected it would be. I have been to a soup kitchen before and it was very similar to the one I went to with my family. It felt really good to help people that are in need. I am so glad that I got an opportunity to help people that are less fortunate. We often take for granted everything we have like food, shelter, and clothing. Homeless people often go without food, without a place to live, and sometimes the only clothes they have are the ones they are wearing. I feel very lucky that I got a chance to make a difference in the world.
(Chandler H.)