It’s noon and the folding partitions open to reveal a lengthy line of more than 40.
Food service at the Friendly Kitchen is about to begin and there are a lot of hungry people waiting for a hot meal. And from what I am told, this is what a typical lunch service looks like.
On this day, I am helping out. Usually during a Thursday lunch, Carol Webster and Dorian Scammon handle the service line, but they were gracious enough to let me join. The meal is simple, but at the same time covers just about every food group needed for a balanced diet, including a plethora of desserts.
American chop suey is the star of the show, made with noodles and hamburg that was cooked the night before (because nothing goes to waste at the Friendly Kitchen), mixed with spaghetti sauce, freshly chopped green peppers and onions, and topped with parmesan cheese and parsley. A tossed salad, tomato soup and donated mini sandwiches filled with egg salad, chicken salad and tuna complement the chop suey, as does the sliced watermelon, cookies and pastries.
As for me, I had no part in preparing the food. Webster and Scammon took care of that just like they have each Thursday for the last eight months. My job this day was to serve the tomato soup. With a large pot and an above average sized ladle, I took control of the leadoff spot for the line.
I took the assignment very seriously. I was the tempo setter to make sure the line ran smoothly and everyone got enough food. There wasn’t a lot for me to remember. First, I would ask if they wanted soup and if the answer was in the affirmative, I’d ask a follow-up of “would you like cheese or croutons on that?”
It didn’t take long to find a rhythm. I was pouring out bowls of soup like a seasoned vet. I even grabbed sandwiches, dished out a few scoops of chop suey and restocked the trays when I had an extra minute to help. But it wasn’t about how quickly I made the line move or how many bowls of tomato soup I served.
The only thing that mattered was that everybody got something to eat and plenty of it. For the half hour of service, almost 50 people ate and seven or eight came back for seconds. For some, it was their first meal of the day and for many others, maybe their only.
And each Thursday, Webster and Scammon spend about four hours at the Friendlt Kitchen. It is because of people like them that allows for so many hungry people to eat.
I am a little sad to say that this was my first time volunteering at a free kitchen. But it sure was an eye-opening experience that I would like to do again and one all of you should consider as well.
