The Kitchen 11/24/11

     I served Thanksgiving dinner to homeless people (and others with homes that needed a meal) at the Community Kitchen.  Didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped to.  The volunteers formed an assembly line to pass out tea, food boxes and dessert, then we were told to get back against the wall.  Not enough people contact for me; I wanted to mix and mingle and chat people up.  Plus too much churchy business:  prayer, then a sermonette, then another prayer, then sing a gratitude song.  I know The Kitchen is backed by Swash Park Ministries and a lot of the volunteers were church affiliated, but these people came for a meal.  Not to be browbeaten to come to Jesus.
     Good things that happened:

• I got to see my buddy Mary again.  She remembered our dancing night at Broadway at the Beach and gave me a big hug.  Her companion Lee was sick, so she took food back to him.  I made sure she got a wide slice of pecan pie, her favorite.
• A church from North Carolina was set up in the parking lot giving out blankets and jackets, so nearly everyone took a blanket and/or jacket back to wherever they call home.
• A gentleman that works at the resort where I'm staying was there to eat.  I talk to him every morning as he's vacuuming the atrium.  Now I know his name and he knows mine and we are better acquainted.
• A hispanic man that I didn't know came up to me and asked "como esta?"  Don't know why he picked me, but his eyes lit up when I answered "bien, senor, y Usted."  We had a nice chat in Spanish.  He spoke English as well, but it tickled me to get to use my Spanish-speaking skills.

     I realized I felt more kinship with the people there to eat than the people there to serve.  Maybe I was homeless in another life.
     Miss Carol, who runs the Kitchen, said another homeless person was found dead on Thanksgiving, bringing the total up to 25 for the year.  Myrtle Beach is a beautiful place but not for everyone.  Miss Carol had people new to the Kitchen say their names and where they are from and the list included:  Wyoming, Ohio, US Virgin Islands, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.  I would love to hear their stories.