One of the goals for AIPT's Community Outreach is to reach out to those less fortunate than we are in our area. One of our activities has been to serve the poverty-stricken people in our community.
On November 13 and 15, 2006, thirteen AIPT staff volunteered at Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen in Baltimore, MD. The Our Daily Bread dining facility serves an average of 649 guest a day! The guests include men, women and children of all ages. It is a place where all are welcome; a place where people whose lives have been burdened by hardship are served with dignity and reverence. (Pictured above: AIPT's Janet Van Cleve with an Our Daily Bread staff memeber.)
Once they arrived, AIPT volunteers set-up the bread and beverages before the door opened for patrons to be seated. During lunch, AIPT volunteers greeted people and served them their food. The meals consisted of beverages, bread, meat, and desserts, as well as vegetarian options. When the meal ended, our volunteers cleaned the dining facility in preparation for the next set of patrons.
Community Outreach and the AIPT Volunteer Committee are looking forward to the spring when they will volunteer once again at Our Daily Bread. After spending the day at the soup kitchen, our staff was asked to share their volunteer experience:
My experience was a wonderful experience especially working with Bill washing dishes and with Miss Liz. It was great and the atmosphere was wonderful.
– Jenn Aguayo, Program Specialist
Volunteering at Our Daily Bread was a really fun and rewarding experience. I especially appreciate the way that the soup kitchen treats the patrons with such kindness and dignity. It was a great setup and very well organized. I would love to do it again!!
– Alexa Brown, Administrative Assistant
Volunteering at Our Daily Bread was humbling, yet uplifting. I gained a better understanding of the different faces of hunger – working people, children, young and old. I realize it could be me sitting at one of those tables some day. So, I also deeply appreciated ODB’s emphasis on respecting the dignity of each of its guests and treating them with the graciousness and kindness that every person deserves, especially when they are going through hard times. Along with giving people wholesome food, children’s books and information about jobs and services, ODB gives them hope, at least during the time they share at the kitchen. I am grateful to have had a chance to be a part of that for a day.
– Valerie Gonlin, Project Manager
It was great! I got to work with some great people! Meet some great people! And I really enjoyed it! I would love to do it again!!!
– Aubrey Mitchell, Accounting Specialist
Volunteering at the Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen makes me more aware of life around us. Awareness to give alms and hope for many hungry, homeless and suffering people in our community. Awareness to move us to be grateful for all we have and have been given to appreciate. It was a special day to be among AIPT's volunteers at the ODB to reach out to those who are unfortunate but blessed to have organizations like AIPT to support other non profit organizations to add value and make a difference in our communities.
– Janet Van Cleve, Community Outreach Specialist