A Typical Day At the Center of Hope

There is no such thing as typical, but today seems like a good example of the variety of things I get to do and what the volunteers and I are exposed to as we work here.


8:30 am - I am "running late" (because of some before-school babysitting), and the line of people outside the door are giving me a hard time (joking... mostly) about not opening the door 'til now (even though we don't officially "open" until 9:30! they line up as early as 7, or even 6 in the summer).


Mr. G. follows me in the door as usual, talking my ear off while I try to get things started for the day. Sal, a talented Italian chef, brings in a tray of pizza-bread-somethin' for the volunteers, some of whom are already stocking shelves. They will inevitably come to me with multiple questions that I do not know the answer to (regarding food, my standard response is: "Ask Al" - if Al is not here, I tell them to do whatever they think is best). I lock myself in the back office to "listen to the messages" and things, but really my goal is a few moments of sanity before the day officially begins. I read some Scriptures, pick out a few verses of Psalm 96 to share as a devotional, and go greet some of the volunteers as they show up, including a new guy from a local church. Usually at this time I'm questioning, Do we have enough volunteers? Lately though, our problem has been having too many - a good problem to have - so I try to find the new guy a spot to work that isn't already filled. *This is where flexible volunteers make life easier: they don't mind jumping in if they're needed, or moving to a different position if they're not.


9:00-2:00ish - After devotions the morning gets rolling, and I happily scurry from front to back, person to person, trying to address everything and everyone that demands my attention. This includes:

-Attempting to discern if clients are trying to "scam" us (What's your name? Where do you live? Are you lying to me?)

-Finding that fine balance between mercy and justice (like when Mr. J. asks if he can cut line because his 70-some year-old mother is waiting in the car... he is #63 and we are on #5)

-Answering phone calls (Where are you located? Can you help me with my rent/utilities/medicine/car/grief?)

-Talking to walk-ins (People wanting to donate stuff, wanting to volunteer, wanting to talk to Renita - the latter is a large part of my job!)

-Listening to a client tattle (one of our workers may be stealing food... and I am left wondering, is he trustworthy?)

-Piles of paperwork (blah)

-Munching on trail mix

-Compiling information and planning for volunteer training sessions

-Computer games (uhhh...)

-Interacting with volunteers - like talking to Pat on the phone about who will be driving her to doctor visits and bringing her the groceries and things she needs; or getting to know a new volunteer, Glenn, who has lived in this area his whole life; or, when I mentioned to one volunteer that I've been meaning to get in touch with his wife, he stopped what he was doing and gave me a full update about their entire family - this is one of my favorite parts of the job!

-Receiving prayer requests, praying, and passing the word on

-Eating celery and carrots

-Referring people to other agencies, such as Catholic Charities (another big part of what I do)

-Smiling at the little children who occasionally come in with parents and really brighten the day for us

-Talking to clients (like Bob, a softspoken gentleman whom I talked with last week and also ran into at Mass the other night, and who is now telling me about his admitted need, and his desire, to read Scripture on a daily basis... what an encouraging conversation!)

-Laughing to myself about our crazy, wonderful volunteers... like Ms. J., claiming to be a lesbian and we're not sure if she meant it or only said it to get one of the guys to stop hitting on her... and Ron, who always feeds me all kind of flattery, saying "Be a good stepdaughter and get me something cold to drink!"

-Being concerned about volunteers, like Ms. P. who is worn out from taking care of her ill husband, and Ms. T., whom we suspect may be in an abusive relationship



2:00-2:30 - Things are quieting down now... the last stray people (who came in after we closed at 1:30 - some tenderhearted volunteer is always letting a few in) are getting their food, the shelves are being re-stocked, the waiting room is empty and needs a good cleaning. I eat an apple while finishing up some paperwork, organize notes and messages for Renita for tomorrow, gather my things from the office, then head up to the front desk area. Ron is finishing entering new people's information into the computer, Ora is washing the coffee pot. Oh, and one more thing before I go... I've been thinking of Charlene (former volunteer) lately, and even had a dream about her the other night... so I think I'll call her.
I already have a smile on my face, thinking of her warm and joyful personality, so I am surprised when she sounds very dull at first. After I say my name she perks up a little, as we talk she picks up excitement, and pretty soon she is being her normal blessin-the-Lord self. We talk about the two big things in my life that are new since we last saw each other - the boyfriend, and the peacemaking delegation. (And, not unlike many others, she makes connections between the two and wants to know, "What does he think of your trip?") She is full of encouragement for me. Though at one point she makes a comment about how if she was going on such a trip she'd be afraid, after I share my own confidence in God's hand at work in all this, she agrees with me and declares "I stand corrected!" She says lots of positive things about the trip and about me, including an amazing phrase that I won't fully remember but is something to the effect of "May God's peace be over, rooted in, and abundant through your life..."
We also talk about her life... how she is "Not where I want to be, but not where I was..." and how she "can say nothing but 'thank You' to the Lord," because even when things aren't going the way we want them to, we serve a God who is powerful and good. She thanks me for "being obedient to your dream" and calling at "the perfect time" and promises we'll see each other before my trip in March. It is utterly refreshing, and something in my spirit is burning brighter because of this time of sharing with a friend who, though not a close one, is a true friend in the Lord.
So now you know why I love my job, right?