When it came time to actually work with the clients of Cafe 458, I found myself feeling hesitant for the first time since being in Atlanta. Our trip is focused on urban issues in the city and I was pumped to get out there and get started. But when the doors were about to open, I didn't know what to expect. Talking about serving is not the same as actually experiencing it. Our coordinator at Cafe 458, Allison, had told us that most of these people would look just like us even though they were homeless, and she was 100 percent right.
One of the tables I was serving lunch to was a group of four men. They weren't dressed in tattered clothing. They had coats and sneakers and were wearing jeans just like our group. When I brought them their drinks they were very polite, but not overly friendly. I enjoyed taking their orders, and I felt like I was making a difference and thought "wow, what a great experience." But then one of the men brightened and started talking to me about how smiley our volunteers were. "Seeing that makes me want to serve," he said. He then said how thankful he was for us and added what a great thing we were doing. I could hear him continue to brag on us even as our conversation ended and I started serving another table. It was then that I was reminded why I was really here, and it only took one day and one person for that to hit home. I can't wait to see what the next few days will bring.
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