Author: Maren Buettner
Recently, eight members of the Prior Lake Junior Optimist Club volunteered to serve meals at the Catholic Charities’ center in St. Paul. Personally, I feel like these meal serving events are a great way to have an immediate impact on the community. Here are some key takeaways from JOC volunteers. “Helping people has always been something I have enjoyed. Seeing the immediate effect of helping others was heartwarming; however, it was also heartbreaking to see the hundreds of people, some of whom are without a home or struggling mentally or physically. I hope I can do this again some time,” Eshaan said. Another JOC volunteer, Ary, commented “Seeing all the people we served was eye-opening and making an impact on their lives helped me realize how everyone has a different story even if they don’t always realize it.” Lastly, JOC Advisor, Dan Steger, stated “To my eye, this event had two layers, very different but equally powerful and fantastic. First was the prep work we did in the kitchen, getting tomorrow's breakfast and bag lunches ready, as well as making salad for the upcoming dinner service. What I observed about this is how effortlessly everyone worked together, forming and strengthening friendships with those of common values, laughing, teasing, always positive, always smiling. To be part of this made me very happy. The second layer was serving the meal itself. I was the last person on the line. I simply put a fork on each tray and handed it to the guest, trying my best to make eye contact with each one, engaging them with a simple greeting. The breadth of humanity I encountered showed me how tiny my world is. The marginalized elements of the human race were all present: the homeless, the poor, the mentally ill, the disabled, the chemically dependent. But undiminished by their struggles was their dignity, the vast majority looking me in the eye to say,"thank you." To say this was moving is a huge understatement. I found myself wanting to come back again and again.” After the success of this event, the Prior Lake JOC hopes to make volunteering at Catholic Charities a monthly occurrence.
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