Blog 6: Late Fieldnotes Reflection
As I began driving for my initial day of volunteering at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, I began to ask myself what exactly I was going to do and what kind of people will be using the food pantry. I immediately began to visualize what people looked like that were in poverty and in need of assistance. I pictured ragged clothes, greasy hair and beat up vehicles, if any vehicle at all. Yes, I realize I am labeling the "poverty" crowd but this is what I did. I pictured both men and women coming in the door with a distraught look on their faces and a sense of frustration that they have to come to a place like the pantry to help survive on a daily basis.
After walking into the food pantry that clear, brisk Thursday afternoon, I was quickly slapped in the face by the vibrant feeling that surrounded The HUB and the smiles that were pouring out from every patron and every volunteer that were there. People were not distraught as I seemed to visualize before hand, they were full of life, full of energy because they were alive and still kicking to see another day. As I was getting introduced to how The HUB goes about its business, I was greeted by multiple patrons asking me how I was doing and how my day was going? Isn't that suppose to be me asking them that question? Why do I feel like this is not what it seemed before I came in the door?
As patrons walk in the door, they receive a warm welcome from some of the volunteers, they receive there shopping bags and then they go shop for free food that continuously gets stocked on the shelves of the pantry. As the patrons carry about their way, they talk amongst themselves just like anyone would do at the grocery store. These patrons of the pantry are just like everyone else. Yes, they may be poor or may need assistance but they are just like everyone else. They are vulnerable, they are weak, they have little money for special items or special events but I'm telling you that they are citizens just like we are.
Before knowing anything about The HUB, I assumed that people that were in poverty dressed very poorly. I figured there clothes would be ragged and dirty because these are examples of people that I have seen in our local downtown community begging for money. But once again I was proved wrong. After volunteering now for multiple weeks on the same day, you start seeing the same people. One gentleman in particular stuck out to me the first week I was there. I thought I recognized him but it wasn't coming together and then finally one day I figured it out. He was my Spanish Professor from my freshman year of college. Was I shocked or what? From what I knew and how he presented himself, he surely wasn't using The HUB for food assistance but low and behold, he was. Every Thursday around 4pm, same time every week, my old professor walks in the door dressed in a button-up dress shirt, slacks and dress shoes ready to shop for his weekly food supply. From the outside you would never know that he would need assistance. The way he holds his head high, his body posture is proper as it should be and he is highly educated. You would never think he would be here.
As my perception started to unfold, I began to notice that I needed to get a new realization of what kind of people use the food pantry. I cannot put it any other way rather than people use the food pantry. Ordinary people that are just like you and me. The only difference is that they are using the services of The HUB and we are not. As I continue to volunteer and get to know some of the patrons, I am finding out that a lot of them have daily jobs, families, and a mortgage; the only difference is that they just don't have enough money left over to buy food. As many of the patrons would tell you, they are only a few pay checks away from getting out of poverty and people that are not in poverty are only a few pay checks away from being in poverty.
Our community has a need and The HUB is taking that need by the throat and squeezing every resource possible to give back to the community. The hungry are being fed and in turn the community is learning how to become more sustainable. The more the patrons use the services at The HUB, the more knowledgeable they are becoming about learning how to choose healthier foods and even learn how to start their own gardens with nutritional classes and gardening classes.
The HUB is more than just a food pantry. It is home to many staff and volunteers as well as the patrons that come on a weekly basis. The HUB is satisfying a need and the response is growing in numbers. The people need The HUB and The HUB needs the people.
Don't just judge the cover, open the book up and read it!!!!You might be surprised in what you find.
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