Week 3: Sharing a Side of Smiles at Supper

Each week of this little Kindness Countdown project of mine over the years has been memorable, but there are a few that stay with me, long after they're complete. Last week was one of them. 

My boyfriend Mark and I, along with our friend Al, headed to the Denver Rescue Mission to work alongside a cook to finish preparing dinner, set up the two meal services, and clean the kitchen after. But it was so much more than that. 

We learned there are three professionally trained chefs employed at the Fort Collins location and each of them takes pride in preparing great tasting food for the homeless men who visit for breakfast and/or dinner each day utilizing the food donated or available to them at their local food banks. 

Keith, the chef we worked with that evening, told us they are in need of morning meal helpers, milk and egg donations, and anything else people are willing to give. He told us there are some regular meal patrons he has seen for long stretches of time, and others who are homeless temporarily due to economic/health issues. 

We were there for a couple of hours last Tuesday evening; the first dinner service saw 30 visitors before we closed up, cleaned and refreshed the tables and line, and then reopened the doors. Every single man we met was kind; they returned our smiles, thanked us for being there. One may commented, "You could probably be anywhere in the world tonight and you chose to be here. Thank you." That has echoed in my heart so many times...

As we loaded up their plates, we thanked homeless veterans for their service, smiled and laughed alongside the men while they were there. And when dinner service was complete, we watched the patrons work together to clean up the space and prepare it for the sleeping mats they'd roll out later that evening. 

Mark, Al, Keith and I had a great discussion as we prepared for dinner, discussing how precarious life can be, and how amazing it is to have resources to use when needed...and the importance of helping when you can. 

And we could. And so we did. And plan to do so again and again. 

May this find you in the "able to help" boat, and may you find a great local organization near you like the Denver Rescue Mission to share your fortunes. 

I promise you'll feel them grow tenfold with the effort. I know we did/do.