Finding Deeper Meaning Through Questions

Like millions of Americans, I set several resolutions when the new year began. And like most of those people, I fell behind on one of my resolutions just a few weeks later. So here it is... my blog entry that should have gone live on Monday, January 16th.

I recently sat down with a colleague to talk about social justice opportunities on campus and in the community. It was just two short days before I visited the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry in St. Louis. She just so happened to share a story with me that really made me think. She was recalling the first time that she brought a group of students to the food pantry years before. As is typical, the group was put to work bagging up canned goods and other essentials for the thousands of clients that rely on the food pantry for sustenance. After a long day of work, one student looked at her and said, "I just really wish we could have seen the smiles on the faces of the people who we were feeding with all of this food."

The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, like many others, prides itself on maintaining the dignity and confidentiality of its clients. It is easy to assume that this student couldn't understand why having clients pick up the bagged goods from volunteers would compromise their dignity. It is also easy to assume that this student never gave it much thought. I don't want to make those assumptions. I never met the student, so I can't pretend to know what she was or wasn't thinking. What I can do is pose a larger question.

Is it okay to expect something out of a hands-on service opportunity? When asked why they like giving back through days of service, I often hear people say things like, "I did it because it felt good." While it's not my go-to response, I don't disagree. I feel happy when I am helping others. I feed off of people's energies. I respond to smiles and "thank yous" just as much as the next person. But if the point of hands-on service is to give of yourself, are you discounting the work that you've done by recognizing what you've gotten out of the experience?

I joined over 20 young adults from the St. Louis Jewish community as we spent a Sunday morning in the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry's basement. Shortly after arriving, we were surprised to learn that another group had been there just a few days earlier, leaving us with very little to do. I felt conflicted. I was delighted that there was a overwhelming amount of people in the community who were eager to lend a helping hand. And I was pleased that hundreds of families would be fed from those bags that were already made. But I was also frustrated. Here was a group of young adults who chose to spend a couple hours helping out in the community above anything else they could have been doing. The staff member who was with us did his very best to give us each a job, but within an hour or so, there was really nothing left to be done. Just as I began to worry that many of my peers might leave the pantry feeling like it was a waste of their time and that the needs of the community were already being met, the staff member spoke up. He shared that while all the shelves were stocked with bags of goods at that moment, they would be emptied out within a matter of days. He made an ask for people who would be interested in coming back on an as-needed basis to sign up for email alerts. He emphasized that the pantry was meeting an on-going need and that there is always work to be done.

In today's society, even the most service-minded people have to make judgment calls. What seems like a worthwhile cause? How many causes can I give my time, energy and money to? How can I make sure that the impact that I'm making is an enduring one? These judgment calls aren't just tough to make, they're extremely personal. I hope to spend the rest of the year answering these questions for myself while simultaneously being inspired by my friends, family and peers that answer them in a completely different way.

Serving Alongside Family and Friends

Happy 2012, everyone! Coming out of what proved to be a rather extended holiday season, I spent much of the last month eating. I tried new food while traveling cross-country on a road trip and enjoyed long-time favorites when I found myself celebrating the new year with family and friends in the Chicagoland area. I feel blessed that I had so much choice when it came to my eating- what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat- and simultaneously recognize that many people in our community don't have the same luxury.

While I was home, my mom let me know about an opportunity to serve at the JUF Uptown Cafe. JUF is the Jewish United Fund/ Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. According to the JUF website, "The JUF Uptown Cafe is Chicago's first kosher anti-hunger program for the needy. In addition to providing hot meals in a restaurant-style setting, the JUF Uptown Cafe program brings dignity and hope to people in need. The JUF Uptown Cafe feeds Jews and non-Jews alike and is open three days a week for dinner and on Sundays for brunch." And while all of that is accurate, I would argue that the JUF Uptown Cafe is so much more (both to its guests and its volunteers).

From the moment that I entered the cafe, I was completely charmed. The way that the room was set up was warm and inviting. Imagine your favorite diner with place settings around the table- enough for you and your family or friends. There were decorations on the walls, but the emphasis was very clearly on the guests who would fill the seats when the doors opened.

I joined a group of several other volunteers of all ages- some who had volunteered before and some who were newbies (like me!) Among the group of volunteers was my mom (Lanie), my friend (Benjamin), my mom's best friend (Merle) and Merle's husband, son and family friend (Bob, Joey and Ashton). We got a quick pep talk and tutorial about how the cafe ran, put on our aprons and dove right into our work as waitstaff.

Unlike many other food service operations, the JUF Uptown Cafe is run like a restaurant. Guests come in and take a seat at their favorite table and are encouraged to order from a full menu of beverage and food options. While some of you know that I've worked in food service before, I would be lying to say that keeping up with rotating guests wasn't a bit of a challenge! But, fortunately, my co-server (Maddie) and I had incredibly gracious guests who were quite patient with us.

When things slowed down for a moment, I took a step back. I noticed that something really beautiful happens around the brunch table. There were complete strangers sharing a meal as if they had known each other for years. With bellies full of warm food on a cold afternoon in Chicago, people began to smile and share stories. In fact, we had so many bellies to feed that for one of the first times in JUF Uptown Cafe history, they ran out of food before there was an opportunity to call for seconds! I also took a moment to watch my mom and friends in action. Benjamin was chatting about movies with one guest as Merle was juggling a tray full of goodies with a giant smile on her face. But, probably most inspiring of all, was my mom. Though I happen to know that she was in a lot of pain (she suffers from foot, ankle and back problems), she worked right through it. She realized that for those two hours she was a part of something much greater than herself, so she lent a hand wherever she could. Way to go, Mom!

I would strongly encourage anyone who lives in Chicago to contact the folks at the JUF Uptown Cafe about volunteering.