It could be me...

I had been volunteering at The River Food Pantry regularly on Tuesdays for about a month. I recognized the client because she had been there every Tuesday to get food. And every Tuesday, as she finished shopping in the pantry she would hug all the volunteers. I mean ALL of them. Those she knew, those she didn't know. With "thank yous" and big smiles.

This particular Tuesday I noticed what she was wearing. It was a Staples polo. Her uniform. For her job.

It seems like a small thing, but it actually opened my eyes to who I was actually serving. I had just sort of expected the clients at the pantry were all jobless or homeless, or lazy... I began to see that words like thankful, hard working, and kind were a better fit for many of the clients at the pantry.

I also understood that for these parents trying to feed their kids, "job" didn't always mean security and being able to pay all the bills. While the pantry sees its share of homeless and jobless, a more accurate picture is that many are on fixed incomes or in a job that doesn't pay a living wage (for whatever reason-lack of education, lack of connections, lack of mental health).

When giving a tour of the pantry or explaining what we do, one of the directors often tells people, "We are all just one medical emergency from needing the pantry ourselves."

There is far more going on at the River Food Pantry than stereotypes can handle. I am far less different from the pantry clients than I ever thought. I encourage you to come check it out.