Sign In Forgot Password
Home

Temple Beth El Blog

What I Learned by Serving Supper at Catholic Multicultural Center

03/03/2020 01:55:28 PM

Mar3

by Aviva Kinsey

I am a junior at West High School and am also a member of TBE. At West I am involved with Key Club, which focuses on community outreach through many forms of volunteering. I noticed that the Temple was engaged with volunteering at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC), and I decided to sign myself up.

One Monday afternoon, two Key Club members and I arrived at the CMC not knowing what to expect. Immediately, as we walked into the kitchen, we were warmly greeted by the CMC staff and the other volunteers. They quickly showed us around and we started to feel more comfortable. We were assigned the task of serving, which meant that we would be able to directly interact with people coming to the soup kitchen.

As people started to file in, the room became more and more filled with voices and laughter. The optimism that was evident on so many of their faces was truly inspiring. Many of these people came from an exhausting, full day of work amidst freezing weather. Still, I could sense the positivity and motivation that radiated off of so many of the individuals. Each person that made their way down the serving line had their own distinct qualities and struggles, but these meals brought everyone together to form a community. These meals allow people who may be struggling financially or in other ways to have a platform to share their own experiences and feel as though they are a part of something.

I can definitely be blind to my privilege at times, but volunteering at the CMC has allowed me to see my life and others lives through another lens.

April 25, 2024 17 Nisan 5784