8th Graders Serve at the Cathedral Soup Kitchen

This trip to the soup kitchen had a few significant differences from the first. In this visit, I didn’t have to worry as much about serving the food, so the people there could easily interact with me. And I was taken aback by how courteous and polite those people were. Sure, there was one fight, but it soon dissolved and everyone around didn’t try to keep the fight going. In fact, one man actually came up to me and said, “It’s terrible to see grown men act like children.” I thought it was stunning to see some of the optimism and maturity that these people put forth. Being out in the world, alone and cold, can do terrible things to a person. But these people overcame their difficulties and really showed that they were respectable, thoughtful people. It was a showcase of human understanding that I would have never thought would have been there in that room.
(Oscar T.)

My trip to the soup kitchen was very similar to the previous time. Once again there were people standing there when we arrived and once again I was upset by the number of people in Indiana who are hungry. I think the number of people I served increased since last time I was there. I was upset to see two people fighting over a bowl of soup. But I went there to serve the hungry and that’s what I did. I opened and poured bottles of juice. I also put crackers and some sort of chicken casserole into a bowl. Unfortunately, we ran out of crackers because someone stole a whole box. Someone else stole the butter and sugar. At the end of the day it was sad to see how desperate some people can be when they are hungry. I guess all we can do is pray for them to find work and be well fed, because we all know that God will take care of his people. However, I had as much fun this time as I did last time. I thoroughly enjoyed helping people and seeing their face light up when I gave them a friendly smile and a kind word.
(Lauren H.)