On the night of our third Loaves and Fishes experience, we were pretty sure we had it down.  We got to the church right on time, followed the signs to the basement, and donned the regular gloves, aprons, and (incredibly attractive) hair nets.  The pudding position was taken up by Sarah, and Liza and Morgan volunteered to run tables.  Immediately conversation sprung up between the church members and our group.  We discovered some mutual friends, and then dinner service started up.


Dinner service went well; no surprises and good company.  What struck us this time was the willingness and joy of the other volunteers.  They were talking, laughing, and being friendly to everyone.  We couldn't believe that these busy adults found time to serve and were joyous about it.  It was inspiring and reassuring to our entire group.  It showed us how much of a difference we could make.  

On our second night serving at Loaves and Fishes, we served up a whopping pile of pasta with marinara and cheese.  We had come early to put together napkins and cutlery (Sarah totally won the race) and set up the meals.  There was also a group of elementary hockey players who came to help out.  


During the meal, we joked and laughed with some of the guests, getting to know a few and appreciating their predicaments.  Afterwards, we picked up the room and got to mop.  Liza was a beast at mopping.  


for the first time, we started thinking about what the homeless did after coming to Loaves and Fishes  Did they have anywhere to stay?  Was there a shelter where they could go, any type of roof over their heads?  It made us realize just how much of a difference a place like Hope Street Shelter can do.  

We went to Loaves and Fishes in North Minneapolis.  It was very interesting to see the variety of people in need.  There were families, senior citizens, single parents, and teens.  We served a meal of "Chinese" to the guests, and gave out bread and other items to bring home.  They were grateful for the services done.  


In the beginning, we were somewhat intimidated, but as the night wore on we loosened up.  The soup was a hot commodity, and as they came back for seconds we began to socialize.  We found that the more we talked to them, the more we realized how nice and friendly they were.  They had been dealt some tough cards in life and were genuinely trying to do the best they could with what they had. 

In our blog, we will be able to give a more in-depth overview of each of our service days.  More to come!