Washington D.C. 2 - Homelessness & Poverty

Our group is spending most of our week serving with Central Union Mission, a men's shelter located in the heart of Washington D.C. We jumped right in on Easter Sunday at Central Union Mission serving lunch to the men living at the shelter, as well as other homeless men lined up on the streets. In the morning we got right to work, preparing the food for the men who were about to come in. Easter lunch consisted of ham, gravy, potatoes au gratin, salad, and dessert. The cooks are compassionate and work hard to make sure each man is getting a filling and home-cooked meal. In the back we cut carrots, prepared salad, and cut cakes for dessert. Serving the food to the men was a rush in its truest sense: the men would come in and sit down, then we prepared a plate for them and brought it right to them, serving them restaurant style. The mission looks to make the experience different from the usual cafeteria experience, which kept the ten of us very busy. That night, we served dinner as well, and got more familiar with the chefs, who made our time serving much more enjoyable, as they not only joked around a bit, but also showed their hearts and generosity for the men coming through the mission.

On Monday we were warmly welcomed back into Central Union Mission. Before lunch, we spent some time prepping the dormitory rooms by wiping down the walls, and putting clean sheets on the bunks. Leading us through this project was a man named Noel. He had come to the U.S. as a college student from Côte d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast), and has worked for the mission for just about a year now. Our group had a lot of fun getting to know Noel as we finished this process. We took a short break from making beds with Noel to serve the men of the mission lunch. While serving lunch, we met Susan, the head chef of weekday breakfast and lunch. Our group immediately liked Susan, as she didn't hesitate to poke fun and treat us like her close friends. Our second day in the kitchen revealed the true dedication of the kitchen staff at the mission, going so far as to buy catered sandwiches out of their own pocket when they didn't receive adequate donations for that day's lunch. Susan showed us her secret to making incredible salads, and talked to us more as we cleaned up. She insisted upon getting a picture with our group and posting it on the mission's Facebook page. She was excited to hear that we'd be back later in the week and ensured that she'd claim us to help her in the kitchen once more. We finished off our service for the day helping Noel finish preparing the dormitory bunks for the men that night. On our way out, Carl, another enthusiastic employee at the mission, gave us each a free Central Union Mission t-shirt to wear later in the week. The mission has already shown us so much love and it's only day two! 

Tuesday, our free day, was spent around the heart of D.C., getting to know the area better and exploring the many museums and monuments the Capitol has to offer. We look forward to serving with the Crisis Pregnancy Clinic tomorrow, as well as returning to Central Union Mission to serve dinner.