The East Liberty area of Pittsburgh has a lot going on! On Wednesday, June 21, a group of nine traveled from MPC to East Liberty to work with the East End Cooperative Ministries. Our group’s focus was hunger-related issues, and we worked mostly out of East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Our trip began and ended with services at the church. Upon arriving, we attended a Taizé service in the chapel. Taizé is a candlelit service of music, meditation, and prayer. After leaving the service, we continued our reflection at the labyrinth in the church. For some it was a quick journey, for others, a time for quiet and prayer. These two activities, very different and new for most of the group, got us off to a great start!
Thursday morning, the work began. Part of our group helped unload and sort baked goods and produce that was donated by grocery stores in the area. Rachel, Mairéad, and Jane prepared the desserts to be served that day in the soup kitchen, then they sorted the breads and produce to be distributed in the afternoon via the food pantry. Meanwhile, Tucker, Connor, Ben, and Matt sorted grocery items and packed bags for the food pantry. Each day, this soup kitchen serves up to 130 people, and our group helped with the serving and cleanup. As the lunch activities wound down, the food pantry began filling up with clients. Up to 400 families are served each month in the food pantry, which is open every weekday. Each family receives a prepacked bag of food, and then selects what they want from the produce, breads, and frozen foods.
In addition to the soup kitchen and food pantry work on Thursday and Friday, we also helped deliver Meals-on-Wheels on those two days. On Saturday we served breakfast to about 50 men who had spent the night in the shelter at the church. This task was carried out by our group alone, and the youth planned the menu, shopped for the food, and got up very early on Saturday to cook and serve this meal.
One of the most talked-about events of the trip was the $1.00-dinner challenge. To illustrate how difficult it may be for some people to make healthy choices with limited budgets, each member of the group was challenged to eat dinner that night with only $1.00 to spend. There was much negotiation and teamwork involved, as some decided whether or not to pool their funds. In the end, everyone had plenty to eat, and came away with a greater awareness of the issues some people deal with every day.
On Sunday, we attended the Good Samaritan Service, which is held in the dining room used by the soup kitchen. Many of the men who stay in the shelter attend this service, as do other members of the community. It was an informal service with much direct participation by those attending, and again gave our group another view of how we can worship God.
While we had time for fun stuff, too, this group was tireless, cheerful, helpful, and always open to the next opportunity. Jim, Gerry, Richard, the clients they served, and many others with whom the kids worked appreciated their efforts. If you get a chance, ask about their experience.
