Friday, June 09, 2006
Day nine!
I'm pooped! We prepared and served a meal at the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen, which is housed at the SAMM Shelter. It's something I've always wanted to do, and the experience lived up to my expectation.
We got to the dining facility around 10 a.m., and we left around 2 p.m. We were busy--and on our feet--the entire time we were there. The kitchen relies on volunteers to help prepare the meals, and they rely on volunteers to stock their pantry. I thought it was interesting that they buy some of their supplies from the San Antonio Food Bank, which charges 15 cents per pound of food. (Maybe some of the boxes we stocked last Friday ended up there?! Probably not, though, because Sylvia Najera, the dining room manager, said that they like industrial-sized cans of food rather than the smaller, family-sized cans. When you're feeding 173 people, which we did today, you need bulk.)
Before going to the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen, we gathered in the classroom at SAC and I went over the exercises the students had turned in. They are really beginning to get the hang of this new style of writing. Gail's lead for her inverted pyramid story was voted the best in the class. Go Gail! I explained to the students that you start out in the valley, but the more you write...the more you practice...you slowly climb to the peak. You triumph! I am really looking forward to their final projects. No one needs to know what they'll be writing about right now because we're still in the research/reporting phase. After a week in Oaxaca, however, I want them to nail down their subject matter so they can focus on getting the information they need before we head back home. They'll write their stories once we get back to San Antonio on June 26.
Karen then gave a mini lesson on what to bring to Oaxaca and how to pack. The key: less is more. (No giant bottles of shampoo!) We're meeting at the San Antonio International Airport at 5:30 a.m. Monday morning. (Our flight leaves at 7.) From there, we'll head to Houston, and from Houston we fly direct to Oaxaca. It's hard to believe that we're almost there!
At the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Facility, Sylvia gave us a rundown on our duties. She broke us into groups, and we put on lovely hair nets and a yellow apron and got to work. I cut up three big bags of potatoes with the help of another volunteer, who wasn't part of our group, and Mel. The other volunteer said she'd been coming to help for years. I asked her why, and she said that she got bored during the day. She owns a bar, on Texas at Zarzamora, and works nights. (Bud Light is her best seller, and she makes $80 to $100 a week on recycling aluminum cans. Good for her for recycling and for making that extra money!) I found out that Mel is quite a cook--I'm not--and she can wield a knife. (No injuries, I'm happy to report. I was using a huge, sharp knife, and I came home with all of my fingers.)
We started serving the meal at 12:30 p.m., and I was stationed at the salad bin. I scooped up salad with my right, gloved hand, and I used tongs to pick up tomato slices with my left, gloved hand. (Good brain exercise!) I was surprised at the number of guests who said yes to salad, and I was blown away by the number of guests who requested tomatoes. (It's only recently that I've started eating tomatoes. My husband makes a wonderful salsa made with Roma tomatoes, serrano peppers and salt. Last summer, I had a tomato breakthrough: pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers diced very small). Now I'm CRAZY about it. The more lime and cilantro the better! Add some guacamole and chips, and you're talking heaven. Sliced tomatoes or whole tomatoes are still off my list, though. George Carlin, the comedian, does a whole skit on tomatoes: "They're not DONE, man!", and I have to agree. It's a texture, goo thing. People have told me that homegrown, garden tomatoes would change that for me, but I haven't been brave enough to try yet.)
The folks who came for the meal were a mix: old, young (but only two stroller-aged children), physically challenged, white, brown, black, male, and female. They all were very polite and seemed very appreciative. One female, who seemed a little unstable, told the man behind her to keep his hands to himself, but that was the only drama and it was brief.
The kitchen serves three meals a day. I can't imagine cooking for that many people that many times a day, seven days a week. The employees who work there are definitely polishing their halos. Angelica, one of the full-time employees--there are only four who are employed by the Archdiocese of San Antonio--said she knows she could make more money somewhere else, but she said that she feels needed there. "It hurts me to think about going somewhere else," she said. Last week, she put in 63 hours, but I told her that's too much. She needs to spend time with her kids, and she needs to go to college. (Palo Alto, or any of the ACCD schools, is/are waiting for you Angelica!)
She also said that one day last week they didn't have a crew of volunteers in to help, and they served 300 people by themselves. She couldn't figure out where the guests were all coming from. Their meal average is normally 200 guests who come from the SAMM Shelter, which is located in the same building, and anyone else who comes in for a meal. Today, we served chipped beef, potatoes, bread, salad, sliced tomatoes, pico de gallo, dessert, and a drink. I don't believe anyone went away hungry, and many people came back for seconds...especially those sliced tomatoes. (Maybe I should reconsider?!)
All in all, it was a very good experience, and I'd like to go back to help again. One of the things I did after I finished cutting the potatoes was wipe down some walls and columns that had been splashed with food. Mel and I also played a duet of "Heart and Soul" on a raggedy piano. I hadn't thought about it until now, but it was an appropriate tune. "Heart and Soul" is what the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room is all about. For any of you who'd like to help out, here's their wish list:
Sugar
PAM cooking/baking spray
Plastic gloves (large and medium)
Paper towels
Mayonnaise
55-gallon trash bags
Bleach
8-ounce foam cups
Coffee
Plain sandwich bags
Dish soap
Napkins
And don't forget that volunteering your time is an option! (It's only from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. You'll come home pooped, but content.)
We got to the dining facility around 10 a.m., and we left around 2 p.m. We were busy--and on our feet--the entire time we were there. The kitchen relies on volunteers to help prepare the meals, and they rely on volunteers to stock their pantry. I thought it was interesting that they buy some of their supplies from the San Antonio Food Bank, which charges 15 cents per pound of food. (Maybe some of the boxes we stocked last Friday ended up there?! Probably not, though, because Sylvia Najera, the dining room manager, said that they like industrial-sized cans of food rather than the smaller, family-sized cans. When you're feeding 173 people, which we did today, you need bulk.)
Before going to the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen, we gathered in the classroom at SAC and I went over the exercises the students had turned in. They are really beginning to get the hang of this new style of writing. Gail's lead for her inverted pyramid story was voted the best in the class. Go Gail! I explained to the students that you start out in the valley, but the more you write...the more you practice...you slowly climb to the peak. You triumph! I am really looking forward to their final projects. No one needs to know what they'll be writing about right now because we're still in the research/reporting phase. After a week in Oaxaca, however, I want them to nail down their subject matter so they can focus on getting the information they need before we head back home. They'll write their stories once we get back to San Antonio on June 26.
Karen then gave a mini lesson on what to bring to Oaxaca and how to pack. The key: less is more. (No giant bottles of shampoo!) We're meeting at the San Antonio International Airport at 5:30 a.m. Monday morning. (Our flight leaves at 7.) From there, we'll head to Houston, and from Houston we fly direct to Oaxaca. It's hard to believe that we're almost there!
At the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Facility, Sylvia gave us a rundown on our duties. She broke us into groups, and we put on lovely hair nets and a yellow apron and got to work. I cut up three big bags of potatoes with the help of another volunteer, who wasn't part of our group, and Mel. The other volunteer said she'd been coming to help for years. I asked her why, and she said that she got bored during the day. She owns a bar, on Texas at Zarzamora, and works nights. (Bud Light is her best seller, and she makes $80 to $100 a week on recycling aluminum cans. Good for her for recycling and for making that extra money!) I found out that Mel is quite a cook--I'm not--and she can wield a knife. (No injuries, I'm happy to report. I was using a huge, sharp knife, and I came home with all of my fingers.)
We started serving the meal at 12:30 p.m., and I was stationed at the salad bin. I scooped up salad with my right, gloved hand, and I used tongs to pick up tomato slices with my left, gloved hand. (Good brain exercise!) I was surprised at the number of guests who said yes to salad, and I was blown away by the number of guests who requested tomatoes. (It's only recently that I've started eating tomatoes. My husband makes a wonderful salsa made with Roma tomatoes, serrano peppers and salt. Last summer, I had a tomato breakthrough: pico de gallo (tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers diced very small). Now I'm CRAZY about it. The more lime and cilantro the better! Add some guacamole and chips, and you're talking heaven. Sliced tomatoes or whole tomatoes are still off my list, though. George Carlin, the comedian, does a whole skit on tomatoes: "They're not DONE, man!", and I have to agree. It's a texture, goo thing. People have told me that homegrown, garden tomatoes would change that for me, but I haven't been brave enough to try yet.)
The folks who came for the meal were a mix: old, young (but only two stroller-aged children), physically challenged, white, brown, black, male, and female. They all were very polite and seemed very appreciative. One female, who seemed a little unstable, told the man behind her to keep his hands to himself, but that was the only drama and it was brief.
The kitchen serves three meals a day. I can't imagine cooking for that many people that many times a day, seven days a week. The employees who work there are definitely polishing their halos. Angelica, one of the full-time employees--there are only four who are employed by the Archdiocese of San Antonio--said she knows she could make more money somewhere else, but she said that she feels needed there. "It hurts me to think about going somewhere else," she said. Last week, she put in 63 hours, but I told her that's too much. She needs to spend time with her kids, and she needs to go to college. (Palo Alto, or any of the ACCD schools, is/are waiting for you Angelica!)
She also said that one day last week they didn't have a crew of volunteers in to help, and they served 300 people by themselves. She couldn't figure out where the guests were all coming from. Their meal average is normally 200 guests who come from the SAMM Shelter, which is located in the same building, and anyone else who comes in for a meal. Today, we served chipped beef, potatoes, bread, salad, sliced tomatoes, pico de gallo, dessert, and a drink. I don't believe anyone went away hungry, and many people came back for seconds...especially those sliced tomatoes. (Maybe I should reconsider?!)
All in all, it was a very good experience, and I'd like to go back to help again. One of the things I did after I finished cutting the potatoes was wipe down some walls and columns that had been splashed with food. Mel and I also played a duet of "Heart and Soul" on a raggedy piano. I hadn't thought about it until now, but it was an appropriate tune. "Heart and Soul" is what the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room is all about. For any of you who'd like to help out, here's their wish list:
Sugar
PAM cooking/baking spray
Plastic gloves (large and medium)
Paper towels
Mayonnaise
55-gallon trash bags
Bleach
8-ounce foam cups
Coffee
Plain sandwich bags
Dish soap
Napkins
And don't forget that volunteering your time is an option! (It's only from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. You'll come home pooped, but content.)
