After making the many sandwiches and preparing everything for the homeless people who would be coming through the line (condiments for sandwiches, salt pepper, lemonade, coffee and soup, of course!) we saw the line of many people circle around the back of the church, past the dumpsters and continue down the line. At approximately 11:00 am, the sandwich and soup line started.
The surprising thing for me were the people who walked through the line. My preception of the poor in America is that most of the homeless are drug addicts, alcoholics and social pariahs due to self induced and socially unacceptable behaviors. But, I learned a valuable lesson about this...did it really matter if someone is homeless for whatever reason? I feel that we have an obligation to help those who cannot help themselves...a play on Benjamin Franklin's original "God helps those who help themselves..." Men, women, old and young, they were all in the line.
By going to the Food Bank of the Rockies and speaking with our contact there, Olive, we were informed of the increase in attendees to the bank as well as seeing the physical building made me painfully aware of the huge problem we are dealing with now and possibly in the future, with the economy being the way it is. Even the Metro Food Bank has an exponential rise compared to last semester. Last semester 400 students came to get food, this semester the food bank is average around 30 students a day, thats 180 students in a week making the total number of students needing assistance from the food bank at Metro 720.
I have learned that we need a food bank, also that the a person's history should never predicate an individuals need for the basic necessities of life and together we can eradicate poverty on many different levels. Think Global Act Local Be Metro...that's what I would wish all of you to consider while you remain at Metro.
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