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Gold'N Musings
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Wednesday, 18 November 2009 20:50 |
By Nancy Backas
I take a lot for granted. I came from a loving, accepting home. I always knew that my education would be paid for. Not only was there always food on my table, but it was good food.
I had a typical, middle class upbringing in a suburb of Chicago. I chose to move to the city to experience more diversity than I had while growing up. I was able to choose where I wanted to live. I am more than fortunate.
As caterers, we often work for people with means. Because of our liberal, progressive political leanings, we are grateful when those people with means are also fellow progressives. In fact, a number of our clients are dedicated humanitarians and we often contribute a portion of what receive to those causes that our clients support.
I firmly believe, however, that it’s important to find the causes that speak to one personally. With all the privilege with which I grew up, negotiating adolescence was still a challenge. I had a few teachers and several Girl Scout leaders who were there for me at that age.
Young people who are considered at risk need more than the simple guidance that I received. I have for a time now been drawn to help at-risk youth. I mentored a young girl from the age of ten until she graduated from high school through a program at the Evanston YMCA. And several years ago, I began working with the Night Ministry.
Night Ministry began in 1976. It is a non-denominational, non-profit organization that “serves Chicago’s most vulnerable.” I like that the Night Ministry is not affiliated with any particular faith tradition and that they provide services to all. The staff and volunteers come from a wide variety of faith traditions or no faith tradition.
Through my church group, Unity in Chicago, once a month we prepare sack lunches and prepare hot soup in the colder months. We join the Night Ministry staff and distribute the food on the street near Belmont and Halsted where many of these homeless youth congregate.
I am struck each time I go out on the street to serve this population how brave and resourceful these young people are. Many of them have been kicked out of their homes for one reason or another.
I am told that most of them are determined to finish high school. They figure out a way to negotiate their lives, where to sleep, how to fill their bellies. They help each other out and form makeshift families. I know I would not have been as brave at that age. I wouldn’t be that brave today.
To a person they thank us for the food. Many joke around with us and talk about their day. Most of them dress the way any teenager would dress. They need to fit in, to be invisible so as to stay safe and not call attention to themselves.
It feels like a pretty insignificant thing to do, to prepare some food for these young people. There’s a dedicated group of volunteers that show up once a month and form the food-making assembly line at Unity. I know the Night Ministry needs the help from folks like us and that they are grateful. But they do the hard work.
I’ve learned a lot from the Night Ministry staff members about true acceptance and I know that even a smile is more than some of these people get all day. I also know that making a connection with even one young person does me a world of good. It’s rewarding service.
There are two kinds of service in my life. The kind for which I receive monetary compensation, and the kind for which I do not. I am more richly rewarded for the latter.
For more information on The Night Ministry, go to www.thenightministry.org |
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