The why behind...

In Washington DC this week we worked with an organization called SOME, So Others Might Eat. It is a large organization that works with the homeless in a variety of ways, offering everything from a free nursing clinic to job training programs. We worked in their kitchen where we helped serve both breakfast and lunch to almost 500 people. While the people we worked with were really fun, it was actually the hour in between serving these two meals that made the greatest impact on me.

As part of SOME’s volunteer program people have the option to sit through a social justice program and we jumped at the opportunity. Our discussion with the facilitator was fascinating because she forced me to go beyond the physical work and evaluate what I was doing and why. Why was I there serving a hot meal? Why was I there mopping the floors? As an answer to these questions she had us fill out budget worksheets given two sets of facts: the average costs involved with living in Washington DC and a typical salary of someone who needed SOME’s resources to survive. The numbers were unsettling. One person earning one dollar above minimum wage could not afford housing of any kind in Washington DC let alone afford to pay for other basic necessities. She also told us that people who apply for subsidized housing often wait years to make the top of the list… The session really helped me put our volunteer labor into perspective. It is so easy to get caught up in the action of our work that I forget to take time to reflect on why we are doing it. I encourage you to ask yourself why you are doing whatever you are doing in your own life right now…

Kelly