Cooking for a Crowd

This afternoon, I volunteered with a group from work to cook a meal for a bunch of hungry people.  The organization we work through is called Loaves & Fishes and the work comes in 2 shifts:

1) Cooking and cleaning up the kitchen

2) Serving and cleaning up the dining room

I've always gone with option 2, but today I worked in the kitchen instead.  And, guess what!  I cooked rice and veggies (to go with chicken, breadsticks and cookies) for 150 people!  Our coordinators are amazing and have very well written instructions to follow, but still, that's pretty amazing for me. 

I left before the serving started, which is usually a lot of fun.  The people who come through the line are so thankful for the food we serve and often they have great stories to share.  I like talking with them and some of them I recognize from another time they came through the line, so we just pick up the conversation where we left off.

I always come home feeling conflicted.  I feel good for doing something to help.  And I feel empty, knowing some of these folks don't have a home to go to for the night.  And I feel thankful that our family always has enough to eat and a roof over our heads.  And I feel blessed by the love that surrounds me.