Saturday was a day overflowing with service, commitment, and a whole lot of integrity. The Banana Slugs could be seen serving, wiping, cleaning, composting, meal prepping, and washing, all with smiles on their faces and kindness in their hearts during Bellingham Community Meals’ monthly dinner.
Bellingham Community Meals offers an important service to those in need, providing a warm meal and a sense of community to those who are lacking in both. Attendees know that at least once every month they are able to fill their stomachs and reconnect with others in their community all because of the 60 volunteers who commit their day to making this meal happen. In our opening meeting, we discussed how this service project requires maturity, responsibility, empathy, and integrity. The Banana Slugs were full to the brim with all these qualities, serving goodwill along with food and making the participants feel welcome and respected. The volunteer coordinator, Kasey, even commented that the Slugs made better volunteers than most adults!
And whew what a busy day it was! The girls pitched in to every job no matter how large or small (or messy or monotonous): they set tables, poured drinks, filled meal orders, washed dishes, restocked food, cleared tables, answered patrons' questions, and helped serve food to the 650+ people that came for the meal.
Some girls overcame tiredness, others transcended feelings of discomfort, and some easily gave service with a smile. It was an eye-opening experience for all to realize how many people in need live in our city, and gave extra depth to our mottos “Our Cups Overflow” and "We're All Teachers".
All the girls did well with going with the flow – at these meals, with so many volunteers and many diverse tasks, one never knows what job will need to be done next; the girls were needed to pour coffee one moment, bus tables a bit later, and then serve enchiladas and milk after that. They worked collaboratively at all times, partnering up with different people for each job. In the end, they served multitudes, and had an impact on those at Bellingham Community Meals.
What a gratifying day with the Slugs!
FYI, no photos from this day
