Kevin Cresswell's Service-Learning Reflection, Kitchen Shift

After Saturday’s work, Charlie, Zach, and I met for a Tuesday night of preparing food at PAH. We then were told that our job would be preparing the turkey. At first, the idea didn’t seem too bad. However, I didn’t realize the job mainly involved ripping turkey’s completely apart and removing the meet from all its bones. It was one of the most interesting experiences with food I’ve ever had and doing it for three hours was a little rough. However, what I liked about preparing the food was seeing the different types of volunteers that were also working. We interacted with several people including an older man, older woman, and mid aged man. There was also a young mother who brought her two young children in to help, which was pretty entertaining. Even so, one person stood out more than the others. He seemed to be mid twenty’s, had tattoos and piercings, and wore his head phones the whole time. I don’t think he even said one word the three hours we were there. He didn’t seem like he wanted to be there at all, and before leaving I noticed his ankle bracelet, implying he was on house arrest and had to complete community service. This was both amusing and a reality check. Before going to Project Angel Heart, I assumed everyone would be there on their own accord. And while he may have been there under orders from a higher authority, he didn’t complain, but rather chose to work contently in silence. Altogether the group was pretty diverse and interesting to work with. Right before leaving one woman we conversed with became pleasantly surprised to hear that Zach, Charlie, and I were not convicted criminals sent there to do community service, but rather students, to which I got a good laugh. Hearing that made me question my own participation, did all these people just think that we were there to complete court ordered community service? Or is there even a negative stigma associated with the younger people who serve at Project Angel Heart? It seems like while the organization as a whole creates the sense of a community, some of the members may be looked down upon, regardless for their previous actions, but simply because the way they look. Although the fact that a sense of community is even generated through volunteering to serve others is something that makes me more inclined to do it again.

After my two experiences with PAH, I really appreciate the service it provides. Not only does it provide people with food, but also a sense of appreciation to those it serves. It was clear that many of the people we delivered to were anticipating our arrival and were clearly happy to see three young men delivering their food on a Saturday. Many of the residents were alone, and probably don’t get too many visitors, making our quick delivery to their house something they look forward to weekly. Also, the work place, where the food is prepared, feels more like a social event or a gathering of friends, with almost all of them doing it because they really enjoy it. This community that PAH developed is very diverse, but almost everyone is there for the same reason: to serve others in need while working with a group of fun, dedicated people. All in all I think PAH is a terrific service and the work we did was more enjoyable than I expected it to be. I hope that now after having a little experience we will be able to produce an effective and useful writing piece that they can actually use to inspire new volunteers.