can of roach worms

today was nothing i have ever experienced. the only other time i have worked around impoverished people and food is the occasional Thanksgiving dinner at All Saints'.

The organization we are working with, Project Hospitality, offers a soup kitchen and food pantry resource (among others). From 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (with a lunch break in the middle) I helped people shop for groceries. luckily i like to shop in the grocery store and with picky, fickle roommates i usually spend hours in the store, so this was nothing new.

Each customer had a list of groceries they could get. every list was the same but modified for quantity based on how many they were shopping for. It went something like this for a one person:

1 lb or can of meat
1 can of vegetables
1 can of fruit
1 box of cereal
1 lb of rice or pasta
milk- today was a pack of six yogurt cups
i can/ bottle of juice
2 random items(choose from popcorn, gravy, almond paste- one man was particularly attached to his almond paste)
1 can of soup
4 tangerines
4 bananas
1 bunch of greens
5 bags of bread(sliced, bagel..)
1 choice of dessert (cake, cookies)


I spoke mostly english, a good bit of spanish, my limited three words in Russian, and lots of pointing and holding up numbers with my fingers.

The moment that stands out most in my mind is when this man was with his cart, already headed the wrong way down our 20 foot aisle, was asked by a worker to put baskets in his cart. He was very offended by the request and perhaps the tone in which he was asked. He continued to curse and exclaim his frustration with being treated like a piece of trash. I was hesitant to approach him or ask him if he needed help in fear of being accused of treating him less than what he felt he should be treated. But he needed help. And i knew what he needed, how much, how to get it. and what was more important than being yelled it was getting him the food. At the end of his shopping he was smiling and thanking me. i was grateful to have the opportunity to offer him service that he could receive with smiles, thankfulness, and dignity.