Walking past the little donation box in my living room two years ago, I would have never thought of putting anything inside it, let alone money. Now, whenever I have spare change in my pocket, or anything that I would be able to contribute, I place it into the box, for I know that it will go to someone who needs it much more than I do. This sudden change in outlook, unbeknownst to me two short years ago, would all be sparked by a single fortune cookie. And a man who wanted to give back. And a soup kitchen. Let me explain; my realization to give back to my community was placed upon me in the winter of my seventh grade school year. In a few measly months, I would be called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah, a tradition of my family for generations. …show more content…
And don’t act as if they are anything less than equal to you and me.”
It’s at this time where I should say that at this point and time, I was quite sheltered and protected from the brutality of society. Growing up in a middle class family, I always had enough to eat, and never worried about where my next meal would come from. I had never had a real first person encounter with poverty, despite the occasional homeless man on the sidewalk in New York City. I was quite worried about the less fortunate men and women coming into the kitchen. How they would act? What they would look like? I was only twelve at the time, so the world seemed like quite a confusing and massive place.
I continued sorting bread, urgency and anxiety building up inside me like rapids against a mighty dam, except my metaphorical dam was about to crack. While in the middle of determining whether a hard roll was supposed to be “that hard”, Cathy ran out of the kitchen, plates in her hands. “They are …show more content…
I was taken aback by how similar they looked to me. Where I expected tattered, dirty clothes were well kept, clean jackets. Where gruff, bearded faces were expected, there were friendly, grateful expressions. At once, all of the anxiety I had been feeling drained out of me, as I had realized that these people are like us, only they had possibly fallen on hard times, and needed someone to lean on. The food line proceeded on, some men and women placing dollar bills in the tip jars, all of them welcoming and