Our alarm chimes at 4:30am. The room is as dark as it was when we went to sleep. I roll over to my pull-out-bed mate and stretch. We encourage each other get out of our toasty sleeping bags and begin to get ready for our day of service. It is day 39 of our 45 day staff lead service expedition called The Service Bus. It is our opportunity to walk the talk by practicing one of the pillars of our mission, the ethic of service.
Today’s venture, organized by a fellow Service Bus member, is to serve the homeless breakfast at St. Martin De Porres House of Hospitality. First opened in 1971 in San Francisco’s Mission District, St. Martin De Porres is a “free restaurant” that serves 500-1,000 meals a day. Inspired by the Catholic Worker Movement, the organization is run by dedicated volunteers from diverse backgrounds who come together to carry out their mission, “to serve in the spirit of compassion, understanding and love.” This organization practices ‘Gentle Personalism’ which believes that all persons have dignity; all persons have the right to be respected and that eating is a right, not a privilege. Feeding the hungry is a matter of justice, not of charity. Each person who comes to St. Martin’s is warmly welcomed as a guest.
As we walk up the dark streets trying to look for the correct address, we arrive at a quirky wooden door that opens to a tranquil garden with outdoor seating. We make our way to the only room with a light. The dining room. There are various communal tables and chairs, a piano, assortment of tea, and beautiful depictions of gods and goddesses from all religions. There are already several volunteers beginning their tasks. We are greeted by Peter, who graciously welcomes us and proudly tell us more about the organization while standing in front of a picture of the Dalai Lama who visited St. Martin De Porres in 2009. It becomes very clear to me, this is no ordinary soup kitchen, this is a home for those without.
We each grab a decorative apron and divide tasks. Some are assigned to greet guests as they arrive and mingle in the dining room or bus tables. I step up to the counter to serve guests. There I meet my trainer, a petite 7th grader who has been volunteering with her Dad every Friday since she was in 3rd grade. She has been up since 3:00am, but you’d never guess the way she thoroughly explained the roles and tasks of “her station”. I cheekily addressed her as “jefe” and carefully respected her station she so fondly looked after.
Guests have been trickling in as early as 5:30am to seek refuge from the early morning cold. They are warmly welcomed by volunteers, many are familiar with one another greeting each other with terms of endearment, “auntie”, “sweetheart”, and “hey you”. There are baked goods and even holiday presents exchanged amongst those who’ve become close over time. Some of the guests look exhausted, battered even. It’s not easy to process; to take it all in. I wonder about each individual’s story as I am serving bagels and bread. How he or she got here, where is their family, what were they like as a child, are they warm enough, are they okay. Outward Bound’s mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery, and as a member of that organization I couldn’t help but wonder, is this enough?
But the atmosphere this community has worked hard to create is contagious. The positive vibes trickle down capturing everyone’s soul. Perhaps it isn’t about changing or fixing. It’s about treating someone with dignity. Smiling at someone who could really use one that day. Being kind to someone who has experienced unkind things. That day of service, which applied to all the days I’ve done service, that “love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama, former attendee of St Martin De Porres.
