FEBRUARY 12, 2019 BY CASSANDRA JOHNSON
8106 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. The facility is called Progress Place and I spent this past Thursday evening volunteering there. For most of my time in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia area), my heart strings have been tugged at on the first Thursday of each month. This is where I stop on my way from working in Virginia. This is where I help and then head back home to DC. I’ve missed numerous times when I was in South America and some times when I was here and my schedule wouldn’t permit it, but fortunately, I am fortunate to regularly serve the homeless community.
Along with my literacy volunteer aspiration and my images of doing some natural disaster recovery, I wanted there to be a day, some time, somewhere, where I was periodically helping out in a soup kitchen. Somehow that got etched into my visions. Perhaps my knowledge of the possibility was then cemented in by some special holiday sitcom or movie moment.
One security officer along with the chef and dishwasher and other staff are there, when we are volunteering. To paint a complete picture, I volunteer one day a month with several other people from my church. It is open to everyone. The other 29, 30 or in this case 27 days are completed by other community groups such as churches, independent altruistic individuals and people fulfilling community service.
Progress Place is the larger package of two community service programs for people with limited resources and we volunteer specifically with the program called Shepherd’s Table. This past Thursday, there would be a special group from a high school volunteering plus some additional employees and other volunteers. Our regular group had the night off and just my friend (who directs our team) and I would be there to help train the new ones.
I’m glad my friend asked me. It was a kind of reset to see the mission through a few new eyes. I always feel good but sometimes my energy is still with the first half of my day, so there was something in particular about the excitement of these youth that brought back my second wind a little quicker than usual. It’s cliché but true to say that there is a good feeling that comes with giving. The high schoolers provided a peaceful reminder as they were open to every task, including the more thankless parts of sweeping and mopping after all our very gracious patrons had gone. My friend and I and the regular Shepherd’s Table employees we’re excited to let them know how nice it was to have them.
It is nice to be a small part of a huge picture. It sweetens it when you feel appreciated. Something that put me in awe when I began volunteering here is the fact that it is open 365 (or 366) days a year. There is so much hope directed at what could simply be deemed “the homeless problem” from afar. A place like this, with its sometimes difficulties, is inspiring in its final mission. Here we have a chef preparing a variety of food that fills the hot food section, where patrons first enter. One volunteer dishes out a main dish such as baked chicken or eggplant parmesan. The volunteer to his or right adds the sides and the diners always have the opportunity to select among everything, including the breads and desserts that will be served up at the next station. Local businesses donate most of the baked goods.
The combined tea and coffee station complements the bread and dessert area, which can get quite busy during the winters that especially call for a time of warming up.
On this particularly Thursday, I finished helping our new volunteers at the coffee and tea station and connected with another new volunteer who was bussing the tables. Though not easy, this task has become simpler in our new building. Cleaning tables and breaking down the dishes for the wash team has made efficiency out of what was formerly excessive work.
I am happy that the First-Thursdays night crew gets the job done but lately, we have been short of help. More volunteers are always welcome. If you find yourself in the area, feel free to inquire here and keep in mind: Dinner is served daily and perhaps we will cross paths on one of my Thursdays!
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