First Helping

The week’s rap sheet:

3 housing applications turned in

1 guy into senior living

4 drop offs to doctors appointments (two of which had to be rescheduled)

2 grocery runs for clients

5 detox runs

2 relapses from the 5

3 lost ID’s

15+ referrals

7 calls to Christ House

1 belligerent women

4 re-directed government websites

1 emergency call

1 person signed up for culinary job training program here at the kitchen

3 pairs of shoes that didn’t end up fitting (back to Payless with those)

2 large, dark blue shirts with double pockets (denim preferably)

1 police line up

13 trays of food (at least 13!)

10 gallons of coffee a day

2 lost cell phones

5 sugars (on average)

3 Jimmies

2 Donalds

and 1 guy named Sunshine.….Wheh!

Inherent in the above: You will fail because this is inevitable. You will also succeed but this takes time.

In my beginning weeks here at the Kitchen with the First Helping team doing outreach east of the river I’ve learned that patience is as much of the process as is persistence.

Beneath the mounds of paper, climbing gas mileage, barely missed opportunities and phone tag I find myself anxiously optimistic.

I won’t sugar coat it. It has me nervous and frustrated. But in no other arena do you get to wake up everyday and face a new challenge and adventure quite like this. Above all, I’m excited.

We are hiring more interns for week two, right?