Hey guys! I hope everyone’s weekend is going
well! This morning, David, Max, Mallory, Melissa, and I went to the Soup and
Sandwich program at All Saints Episcopal Church. To start off the day, we
arrived at the church around 10:15 and we met several of the volunteers. As
Debbie mentioned during her visit to our class, all of the people working at
the center are doing so without being paid and are rotated with other
volunteers so that these individuals volunteer only one Saturday out of the
month. The volunteers seemed like a close knit group of people and several of
the people appeared to be related in some way. The mood in the kitchen was very
friendly and light and everyone seemed to be enjoying him or herself. We were
required to wear hats due to the fact that we were dealing with food and after introductions
we were put to work! It was a little slow in the beginning but they found
various tasks for us to do such as cutting pies and cakes and placing them on
dishes as well as making sandwiches and saran wrapping them to keep them fresh.
The chairs and tables were already set up prior to our arrival and each table
had a centerpiece of flowers.
There
was some down time before the services started but at 12:00 sharp the people began
to stream in and sit at the tables. It was hectic in the beginning, but we followed
our instructions to go ask each of the attendees which kind of soup they would
like along with which type of sandwich. Some of the patrons weren’t very nice
but the ones that I came into contact with were pleasant and polite. It was
obvious from their attire and some of their mannerisms that a majority of the
people at the program were down on their luck. For an hour we served these
people their meals including dessert and at the end we cleaned up their place
settings. All of the volunteers had different types of clean up jobs: some
washed the dishes, some put the dishes away, some mopped the floor, etc. We
fell into step with these people and helped in any way we could.
After
the site visit, we all agreed that it was a very interesting experience and
honestly most of us were too tired to really think about much else aside from
that. Thinking about the organization now, I’m more confused on where I stand
than I was going into it. I definitely agree that any allotment of money could
be beneficial for this organization, but I am not sure that tables and chairs
would be a good investment. The tables were not moved during the cleaning
process, so I am confused as to why the organization needs new ones. I could see
why the chairs could be an issue, but only when the kitchen is in short staff.
Each chair weighed more than eight pounds, so I can understand that carting 70
of them to one area of the room could be difficult for some of the older
volunteers. Overall, I know that they are a sincere organization and that the
people working there seemed to be full of good, but it almost makes me nervous
giving to a band-aid organization. I realize that I was fully for basic needs
organizations, but seeing all of the people there today made me really sad.
Maybe it’s just because I want better for some of the people and the few
children there. I almost wish the organization could do more, like help them
upgrade their lifestyles, but realistically, it’s impossible to fix someone’s
life without giving them help like this.
Caliegh, I had a similar reaction to yesterday's events. Going into it, I was really excited and inspired by Debbie's passion. Now, after having volunteered there for the day I have mixed reviews as well. On the plus side, this is a passionate group of volunteers who seem to be dedicated to what they are doing and the mission of feeding the hungry in their community. The people we served were from a variety of backgrounds, but they shared the common disposition of being poor, homeless, and definitely hungry. Talking to some of them really broke my heart in seeing their condition and how much coming to the Soup and Sandwich program meant to them. But, at the same time those tables seem to be in fine condition and like it has been said over and over again, this provides a quick fix.
ReplyDeleteThere is one thing on my mind as I prepare for the decisions we have to face this week. We have talked all semester about the goal we are trying to reach and the need we are trying to fulfill. We have said we are okay with operating costs, we have said we are okay with backing an organization as long as it fills a community need. We have also said we want to make the most impact we can, so does the Soup and Sandwich program do that? Will funding a "quick fix" or a "band-aid" satisfy our need to make a difference? These people are getting a meal they otherwise may not have, should that be all that matters?
Yea Mallory, I agree with you that the tables and chairs would provide a quick fix. I participated in the mopping and cleaning afterwards and honestly it wasn't as difficult as Debbie stressed. That could also be because I am younger compared to the majority of people who volunteer there. However, would new chairs & tables really make that much of an impact? I think it would because it would make the cleanup easier for the older volunteers there. We should also keep in mind that Debbie said that there was a large amount of volunteers there this previous saturday compared to other times. Compared to in the Summer or Winter months when BU students are not around to help out. Since most of the volunteers at Soup and Sandwich Program are older I think chairs that could stack up directly on the tables would be beneficial to them.
DeleteEven though the Soup and Sandwich program is small and only a quick fix to alleviating hunger due to poverty, it also helps in providing dignity and socialization to people. It may not reach a large amount of people in Binghamton but for who they help, it definitely makes a difference. And if new chairs and tables could better the experience for these people, I think we should donate them.
Caliegh,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Like everyone in class, I was swept away by Debbie’s charm. She’s very genuine and passionate and in many ways I saw her a true philanthropist. This is a loose speculation, but from the way she tells her stories, I was touched by her sincerity and just sheer energy she brings to our class. But in any event, I’m surprise that your site visit was somewhat different from Debbie’s presentation. I thought the cleaning process would be hectic and certainly difficult for many volunteers, so it would be effective of us to put aside some support for the program. However, since both you and Mallory shared similar experience after volunteering, I’m not sure how much of an impact we can make to the program and the community. Throughout the semester, Mallory and I have been push back and forth, oscillating between different forms of giving: Do we give to an organization we like or do we give to an organization that will enhance the community? Do we support big organizations that aim to solve long-term issues or organizations that focus on “quick-fixes”? Amidst myriads of questions and decisions to be made, lies one realization I’ve come to: philanthropy isn’t measured by how much of impact we can make, but really how much try to make those changes. This brings me back to the first video we saw in class, “I am a philanthropist;” in the clip, we saw ordinary people making a difference in their own way. We are all philanthropists and all of us have done things for our community, they might not be big or effective, but the fact that those intentions came from our genuine desire to help is just life-changing for us (if not, for our receivers).
Sure $10,000 allows to change our community in ways that might not have been possible in the past, but let’s not forget that money is only as effective as we make it. Giving to good organization blindly, I would argue, not at all philanthropic. What makes philanthropists philanthropic is their genuine passion to help. Essential, I would urge you and the class to really think about something each of us hold valuable, what do we want to see in the community? How can we make it happen? And as a class, we should find some common values or missions and organizations that share those values and missions. We can donate to multiple organizations depending on our individual values and common values. After all, the beauty of philanthropy is the ability to connect people right?
Hi Caileigh,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like they really put you to work during your site visit! This is good because there's no better way to get to know an organization than to be involved in its entire process. You make some really interesting comments on how much this organization really needs this money. If it really seems that the chairs and tables were in fine condition then maybe we should reconsider the amount of money we give them. However is it possible that the tables were somehow broken in a way that was not visible from the top? It is surprising to me that the organization would be so specific in this request if the equipment were not actually needed. Also, I don't think we should immediately rule out this program's importance because it is a "band-aid" organization. Soup kitchens provide a very important service to those who could be using the extra money to stay out of poverty. I do believe that we should compare the impact of donating our money to this organization to the others we have deemed finalists. I would consider buying chairs and tables for the Soup and Sandwich program a type of operating cost and I am not sure how the class feels about financing a nonessential operating improvement. This is definitely something we should discuss further, especially since we have three more organizations to listen to tomorrow.
Caileigh,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience with us. One thing that stood out to me, was your mentioning that some visitors there were not very nice. That is very surprising. You would think that they would be kind and grateful for being fed a free meal?? I wonder why they were bitter.
When Debbie spoke in class, she mentioned that the cleaning process is difficult for the volunteers, but when reading what you wrote, it sounds like they could just use some new chairs. Since the chairs Debbie was looking at were reasonably priced, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to help out. Although, after hearing that CHOW stopped donating to the Soup and Sandwich program because they wanted to donate to larger corporations, maybe there is something that we are missing here.
I don't know about the rest of your class, but I would be curious to hear about the space that they had and how many people attended. I remember Debbie mentioning that 60 people was the average, but when you put that in perspective, investing $1,500 in an organization that only assists 60 people once a week doesn't seem like enough of an impact. Not to mention that this is kind of a "band-aid" organization. Debbie's organization is not helping people long term, it is just helping a person/family save about $5-10 a week on food by providing one free meal every Saturday. Although we were all wooed by Debbie's personality and her perseverance, I think that our money would be of more benefit to an organization that helps to provide long-term solutions for many people. This is a conversation that we should definitely have in class, but we'll have to see what the next 3 organizations bring to the table.
Hannah took the words right out of my mouth. I was shocked to read that some guests weren't very nice, when they are being served a free meal from strangers there out of the goodness of their hearts. How can someone not be appreciative of that? A lot of people above were commenting on how effective this organization is, and how much of an impact it makes. If this was a typical soup kitchen (which I do think provides an important basic need although it lacks in systemic change) and was open every day, I would consider this organization more highly. However, since it is only open one day a week and only serving these few people one meal per week, I think we can do better with out money. As both Caileigh and Mallory stated, they aren't sure why the organization is asking for new tables in the first place. I think this is a clear sign that we can have a stronger impact with our money elsewhere. As I said in my blog post, I think it is important that we fund organizations that have a large impact on the community as well as those that are helping to change the systems that cause a need for these organizations in the first place. I'm excited to hear about the other site visits in class and go on one myself next week. I think these site visits have proved (and will prove) very beneficial in our decision-making process.
ReplyDelete