Week 4- Eating at the Salvation Army

Note: all the names have been changed....

Week 4 at the Salvation Army Soup Line....

This week I took socks and good batteries. I guess the dollar store batteries are often old and only work a short time. Not good if you are depending on them in your only flashlight to get the right trail back to camp. Buying the large pack of good batteries was actually less than all the individual packs. Socks are always needed..they go fast!

I caught up with Country and Tina and gave them the dog food I had been carting around for weeks. They have a pit bull...seems like a nice dog and I am not a fan of the breed. I guess Country has seizures and this is his therapy dog. I don't know if that is a self given title so the dog can go in shelters with them or if the dog has actually been trained. The dog was better taken care of than themselves.

Eric is still in jail. Joe, the old guy, is now inside a small one room apartment and more comfortable...for that I am happy. Don and Jeannette were there this week also, still strong advocates for shelter that is badly needed in this county. Rick, a very polite quiet man is here each Wed and always shakes my hand and thanks me. I enjoy what little conversation I have with him.

This week was a special time for me as I was able to go inside the Salvation Army and eat with the people. It was the end of the month so the dining room was pretty full. There were two families there with small children....that was hard to see. I offered to pay for my meal but was told they can not take money. Here is how it went:

You go in to a receptionist who opens a small window and gives you a blue ticket and a white ticket after taking your social security number and drivers license. The blue ticket is for your first time though the line, the white ticket is for seconds. (Note: This Sally is only open for one meal a day) The dining room (as well as everything I have seen inside the building) is spotlessly clean. There are about twenty large round tables that seat eight people. Funny, but it reminded me of the tables you find on a cruise ship. People start coming in and there are tables off to the side with hot coffee and juice....cups are on each table with a napkin and silverware in each. I didn't have any coffee as it is a premium to those cold from the weather. The juice went fast also. I sat with Don and Jeanette and talked with them in detail about their experiences. Then suddenly a man yells "HATS OFF" and all the men take off ball caps, stocking hats etc and the man leads us in a prayer. (He is one of the guests, not a Sally worker) Afterwords, two lines file...Ladies first is the rule. Don escorts me to the lady line where I wait for my meal. The meal was a hearty meat stew that day with buttered bread and a dessert. It was very tasty. Everyone buses their own table. Many went back with their white ticket for seconds.

It was a great experience and I treasure the time I have with these people. I look forward to my Wed adventures.

Sally sent someone in to ask me my affiliation. It surprised them that I am not part of a church or organization. I assured them that I come with no agenda and no expectations...just to have some fellowship with the people and to deliver new socks each week. I was asked to 'give' the items outside (as I have been) and to keep confidential any information I might get from the folks...thus the name changes. As soon as the Sally rep came up to talk to me, the homeless I knew surrounded me and came to my defense (it was not needed but heartwarming that they have accepted me :)

No word from my son yet...he is now several weeks late in returning to the area. I tried calling him today and his telephone is turned off or out of minutes...:(