Have you ever volunteered at an organization that
seemed – let’s say, less than organized?
Well, that is certainly not the case at God’s Love We Deliver. Our volunteer orientation featured
a video that summarized the mission of this admirable organization. Simply put, their mission is: “To improve the health and
well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other
serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. We prepare and
deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness,
are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. We also provide illness-specific
nutrition education and counseling to our clients, families, care providers and
other service organizations. All
of our services are provided free of charge without regard to income.” With a three-part team of donors,
employees, and volunteers, this mission has been accomplished for 26 years,
delivering meals to an average of 4,200 New York residents per day.
DAY 1: Three hours in the kitchen
Following this short video, we
worked in the kitchen for three hours.
We packaged meals, diced chicken, sliced cucumbers, and chopped zucchini
for the following day. The
efficiency of the process was astounding – God’s Love knows what they’re
doing. A chef, Santos, supervised
the entire process. All volunteers
worked together, if working on separate tasks, to meticulously prepare each meal.
At the table next to us, other
volunteers worked to package meals.
We met one of them, Sandy, in the volunteer lounge before our
orientation. Sandy has volunteered
for God's Love for a total of over 6,000 hours. He and his fellow – generally older – volunteers had a
wonderful sense of camaraderie: they truly seemed to be enjoying themselves and
each other.
There are two lessons I took
away from this experience. One, I
am capable of handling an adult 12-inch knife and chop vegetables without
losing any of my fingers. Two, and
far more importantly, I realized what a small, intricate part of the machine
that is God’s Love We Deliver that I am.
Sure, I prepare food.
Someone has to create the recipes and portions, someone has to cook the
chicken, someone has to package the food, someone has to drive them to clients,
and finally, someone has to deliver them.
I alone am not making a difference, but as part of a larger network of
devoted individuals, I am contributing in some small way. And that is one thing I’ve really taken
away from the preparation as well as the execution of this wonderful trip: for
me – or any individual – to think that I can make a change is folly. The best I can do is
dice chicken with the hope that others will contribute as well.
DAY 2: On the road
On our second day at God’s
Love, we moved from preparation in the kitchen to actually delivering meals to
clients. Each of us accompanied
different drivers for the day and successfully navigated thorough the
incredibly narrow streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and New Jersey. Through this process, we got a chance to directly interact with the clients. Though the buzz-in systems, old-school
elevators, and “push to open” buttons near doors were sometimes confusing to us
Michiganders, the small complications were certainly worth the rewards.
Most clients, no matter how sick, were immensely warm and thankful.
A few invited us into their homes, but we were forced to politely
decline. While the knowledge of
myself as a small piece of the puzzle never strayed from my mind, this was
certainly rewarding work that allowed me to see first hand the difference God’s
Love makes everyday. The warm
welcome with which I was received, nonetheless, made an impact. One man insisted on waiting outside his
apartment until the elevator returned for me. Other waited eagerly at the door. All readily expressed their gratitude.
In addition to interacting with
clients, I gained a new view of New York.
Having previously mainly stuck to the tourist-centric areas of Central
Park, Soho, 5th Avenue, etc., seeing Harlem – and the less glamorous
West Side of Manhattan in general – was a welcome reminder that New York is not
all shopping and glamour, business suits and iPhones. I imagine that is the case in all cities. New York is interesting because it has
such a wonderful reputation as a culturally iconic city, yet its darker side is
no secret either. Seeing both
sides of the city is the only way to understand it, and the only way progress
can be made.
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| Us in front of the God's Love We Deliver Building! |
Similarly, though we NASST volunteers were
prepared to learn about the logistics of chronic illnesses, we instead learned
much about socioeconomic and racial divides in the city. I delivered meals to clients who live
in the widely impoverished area of Harlem. I also ventured uptown to a predominately Spanish-speaking
neighborhood where my driver, Amare, grew up; after pointing out his elementary
school, he told me about how he couldn’t wait to get out of that neighborhood
when he was younger (he now lives in the Bronx). He proceeded to tell me how discouraging it is to see so
many of the people he grew up with never make their way out of that area, and
instead deal drugs on street corners.
Jennifer delivered meals in Coney Island, which is stratified amongst a
very wealthy and a very poor population.
In fact, this juxtaposition is evident in the elegant buildings located
directly above the poorly constructued apartments to which she delivered meals. She also delivered meals in a mainly
Russian neighborhood. I
can’t pretend to have answers as to how to solve this problem, yet I can’t help
but think this stark segregation – both racial and economic – is part of the
reason why organizations like God’s Love are necessary.
We
have two more days with
God’s Love, one of which will consist of making deliveries on-foot, the
other will be spent back in the kitchens. Stay tuned for more!
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