One Step at aTime

Service hours: 3.5
My next foray in to service consisted of helping to provide a meal at the Ronald McDonald house near downtown Denver in early February.  The first time this volunteer activity was posted I did not respond fast enough and they had sufficient volunteers.  So, the next time the e-mail came around asking for volunteers, my finger was immediate on the reply button.  Lots of e-mailed directions were sent in terms of how to get there, what to do, what not to do, quantities of food that would be needed, etc.  This was a highly organized activity.  The concept was to feed those families temporarily living at the Ronald McDonald house while their families members were receiving treatment at local hospitals. 

As usual I arrived earlier that the others because I'm still new to Denver and still get lost.  Arriving early allowed me time to collect my thoughts before I would become actively involved.  I've known about RMDH for years as we had a branch of this in Spokane, WA where I moved from.  My service there usually comprised of collecting items for donation, not really ever going inside the facility or providing a meal. So, this was going to be another new experience for me.  I don't recall having any specific expectations or pre-conceived ideas about who I might meet or the experience I would have.  I was mostly concerned with getting the lay out of the land so to speak.  The kitchen we were to be working in was located on the second floor.  The room is a large, industrial sized kitchen immediately incorporated with an even larger dining room.  I had a chance to move to the windows and gaze out at passing traffic until I noted one of my co-workers pulling into the parking lot.  I knew she had picked up the food from Costco and would have to be making numerous trips up and down to bring in all of the supplies.  At the same time all of the other volunteers showed up and everyone pitched  in to bring things up stairs.  Again, the mood and tone were set with a cooperative and friendly environment being established among the volunteers.  No one had specifically assigned role, we all sort of fell into what one felt most comfortable performing.  Leadership was fluent among the various participants when ideas or suggestions were made as to the food preparation and serving.  Having had experience working with professional equipment I was somewhat dismayed when I saw the equipment we were to work with to prepare dinner.  A whole hodgepodge of assorted pots, pans, serving implements, etc were scattered around the kitchen.  Everything was labeled so it could be easily found. The kitchen was meticulously clean, but the quality of the equipment was dismal in my estimation.  The kitchen contents reminded me of when I first moved out of my parents home and had cheap cookware.  Many of the pots and pans were too small to prepare large portions thus doubling the efforts of having to make a large meal.  The nature was so easy going and friendly and everyone was anticipating one another's needs.  As one point we realized that we were going to need an additional pot because it would not hold all of the cooked food.  Lots of suggestions flew around the room as we attempted to problem solve.  About an hour after we arrived, family members started showing up for dinner.  Even though I was busy doing various tasks I noted they all expressed their gratitude for our being there.  Many looked weary from a day spent in the hospital trying to support their loved ones.  A number of families had their children in tow with them.  Many of the tables were long so families would sit with one another and share the details of the day.  Within 45 minutes about 40 people had been served. Again and again they thanked us for our time and the meal.  As I reviewed the night's events I had an opportunity to meet and work with my fellow faculty.  As we were all from different disciplines, PT, Pharmacy, and Nursing we had lots of rich discussions about how we could increase out interdisciplinary interactions.  Our camaraderie was evident among us and to the families we served. Some even asked how long we had all been doing this as we seemed so comfortable with one another. So what I learned is that it wasn't just service for the families but service for one another. Its so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves, obligations, problems, etc but taking time to acknowledge each other as talented, gifted, and appreciated colleagues was as enriching to our souls as it was to provide service to others. Creating community in which each individual is respected and appreciated for their important contributions whether its performing mundane tasks of boiling water to listening and serving those in need of comfort.  So then I have to wonder who am I serving, myself or others. The answer of course is both.When I joined Regis University I wanted to be part of something special. I got way more than I bargained for because it isn't so much as what I receive as it is to what I can give back. Creating a just and comforting environment where ever I am and where ever I go is a better depiction of what I want to accomplish and the more I renew myself the better able I am to serve others.  I was revived enough from the long evenings experience to think about a service project that could benefit the RMDH and other volunteers by coming up with a service project in which funds can be raised to outfit the equipment with professional grade equipment that can accommodate cooking large portions.  I've presented the idea to several organizations and hope they can undertake this important project.