When I left the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on
Saturday, I can’t exactly comprehend what I was feeling. One thing’s for sure;
it was an odd mixture of overwhelming satisfaction and humbling sadness.
It’s unbelievably satisfying lending my time to helping
those less fortunate. In high school, I would do little activities like bingo
and library assistance, but nothing that had such a significant impact on
people. The few hours we spent at the food bank were extremely personal. I
actually got to have quick conversations with each and every person I was
assisting.
As we were walking back to the line area, an older woman
bumped her cart into a crack in the cement and all of her food scattered across
the ground. She shrugged, smiled, and proceeded to retrieve her food (of
course, we helped). That’s where the
humbling sadness comes in.
These people have been through everything to end up with
nothing. This woman ignores the negativity because it comes naturally to her.
What kind of world have we built that lets this happen?
Before we walked to Southside, I stopped at Brueggers for an
iced coffee. A seemingly unimportant event? Absolutely not. Thinking about it,
I understand that I am blessed to have options. If I wanted a bagel with my
coffee, there would be nothing stopping me.
It makes me feel like a bad person. It makes me want to give
everything I have inside of me to helping those people on Saturday. I
appreciate everything in my life. God, I wish everyone could be worry-free.
Going into Saturday’s volunteering, I fully expected to be
disgusted at how ungrateful some of these people receiving the food are. I
couldn’t have been more wrong. Everyone smiled. Everyone hoped. Everyone
thanked.
I now realize that the ungrateful ones are us, the fortunate. I now realize that nothing breaks my heart more than seeing
a child hold his mother’s hand while she gratefully accepts food from
charitable hands.
If I could do this every day, I would. I absolutely loved
helping out at the food bank. Nothing is more gratifying. But at the same time,
I loathe selfishness. We are all on this Earth together. We are only as strong
as our weakest. Why doesn’t anyone understand?
