Personal Narrative: My Trip To The Tenderloin Community

On February thirteenth I took a trip to the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco in order to volunteer at the Saint Anthony Foundation dining hall. I checked in with the coordinator and met with the staff and other volunteers before getting briefed on my duties for the night. I was tasked to help set up the emergency shelter for the night for the less fortunate. I welcomed each guest that walks in through the doors and hand each and every one of them a warm blanket. After each guest was accounted for by the coordinator and received a blanket, I was then tasked to help serve dinner with the other volunteers; I was on line duty, mainly responsible for asking each guest what would they like on their plate: The choices that were available were rice, pork and beans, mushrooms and beans, and steamed vegetables. After dinner was
I get to go on with my days worrying about deadlines for school and at work, for the less fortunate, they have to worry about where they will find a place to sleep the next night or where they are going to find their next meal. I know the feeling of sleeping in the streets on a cold night one time and it was not a pleasant feeling. I was constantly scared for my life because anything bad can happen at night, like getting robbed or assaulted. I can not imagine myself sleeping out on the street every night. I wanted to give these people a safe and welcoming place to stay for the night and forget their woes for just a moment. I also wanted to see people from all walks of life in order to try to understand other people, but myself as well. The people I served were really thankful for my service, even to the point of shedding tears, and it made me feel really good about myself. I learned that it is not what I have that makes the difference, but what I can do. Doing what is right out of compassion, not pity, allowed me to grow as a