So recently, I have started volunteering at Our Daily Bread (ODB), Maryland's largest soup kitchen run by Catholic Charities. On this page I am going to start writing about my experience there.

Our Daily Bread

The first day, October 27th, I was a cleaner. The way ODB works is that the people being served, or guests, come in and sit down at an empty seat-already equipped with a napkin and fork. From there, restaurant style, they are served iced tea and bread by two separate volunteers (who have been assigned to do so). Each guest can take up to 7 slices of bread, but no more than 2 pieces of Cinnamon-Raisin Bread. The server (another volunteer) comes and takes their order, 'Regular or Vegetarian?' and sends  holds up fingers on each hand according to the orders to his runner (waiting next to the kitchen ready to scurry food over). From there the guests eat and chat, if they like. One option is to take either paper or plastic bags from the volunteers to take their leftovers home. Some people choose to take the entire plate on the go, while others  enjoy the company and environment offered. From there the guests take their entire place setting up to the washing station. At that point I swooped in and wiped down their section with a moist dishtowl for the next guest, and set the napkin and fork. This setting of napkin and fork serves as the indicator to the door-workers of how many people to let in.

The intricacy and small details perfected through years and years of serving was evident from the moment it was explained to us new volunteers during our 'orientation session,' an hour before the kitchen opens.

The dining area is open from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm. Over these two hours ODB serves about between 400 and 700 meals a day. At the end of the month, when federal support and paychecks run out, more people come as a good source for meals. Additionally, on this particular Tuesday, it was colder and rainy- factors also attracting more as a safehaven from the elements. Towards the end the kitchen actually almost ran out of hot food and started serving vegetarian only to the people coming in. Also, ODB does not turn anyone away. Instead, at 12:30, they push people further into the hallway leading to the dining hall and then shut the doors.

Myth: ODB mainly serves the homeless.

Reality: Only about 10% of the guests are from the homeless community, many are under the poverty line who rely on subsidies budgets, unemployeed, veterans, the mentally ill, and young families. In fact, there is an entire 'family' section providing fun placemats, milk for the children, and books for the guests to take home for free.

The guests mainly consisted of middle aged black men, some scattered white men, and women of both races also appeared in that order of frequency according to my observations. I personnally did not work in the family section, so I do not know how many families nor children were present. I worked with three other women: one there for work, one there for volunteering who usually works in the kitchen, and a third who gives her time as she can (who found out about it through her church). As a younger woman I was certainaly almost unique in the room, except for a few other volunteers. However, after working in the kitchen this past week (November 3rd), I noticed that almost all the women cooking (who seem to know each other and are there pretty consistently) are all slightly older white women who seemed to have volunteered after retiring either from careers or child-rearing. The servers and runners tend to be white men, also post-retirement. This interesting interaction of race caught my eye for some reason. It is still mulling in my brain. 

Just for reference, below is a photograph of me posted by Graham. I am cold inside a food distribution center. Graham felt the desire to capture the moment.