Megan Barnes-Volunteer
I had the opportunity to participate in a unique volunteer experience that really opened my eyes up to the issue of hunger and homelessness in the community. I went on the Canteen Run with the Salvation Army. This was a volunteer experience in which we packed the Salvation Army truck with food, water, clothes, and other basic necessities such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant. We also packed it with volunteers and in my group I would say there were about 10 people in that small truck. To start off the experience we drove to the library in Champaign. Some people stayed with the truck and some people were able to walk around in the library. People stay with the truck because there are many people who know that the truck will stop at the library. This is because the truck goes out every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so people frequently revisit the truck. I walked around the library with some other volunteers and just informed everyone that the Salvation Army truck was outside and that if they wanted food they were welcome to go get some. We stopped in the kids’ room of the library and when we told them there was food at the truck and it was free, they were so happy. I was so surprised that the girls were so happy and they ran to tell all of their friends. I hadn’t really thought that maybe they were hungry. Even if they weren’t, it was still a great thing we were doing for them because they were so happy.
When I went back out to the truck there was a small gathering of people and we just started to get what they needed from the truck. Sometimes it was a little difficult because some people wanted kids winter coats sometimes, but the truck simply did not have enough supplies. Some people just stayed to talk to us because they just wanted to talk to people. The most impactful occurrence that night for me was when a man said that talking to us was the most human contact he had had in a year. He only talked to us for about 5 minutes!
Later, we went to 3 more stops: the Urbana library, Scott Park, and the bus terminal. It was really fulfilling talking to people and just being able to provide people with what they needed. Even if they weren’t homeless, many were dealing with poverty and benefited greatly from what we could provide to them. I had to use my compassion in this experience and also had to just be friendly to people. It is a great opportunity that allows you to step out of your comfort zone and realize that increasing your perspective of the different classes of the world is very important. This increased my awareness of the homelessness problem and it was very eye-opening.
That night I really had to step out of my comfort zone. It was kind of uncomfortable walking up to people and asking them if they wanted any food or water if they were hungry. As the night went on though, I realized that I needed to take that step of faith and just trust that it was the right thing to ask everyone what they needed. Volunteering can sometimes be uncomfortable, but when you realize that it is greatly benefiting people, you begin to feel comfortable with what you are doing and it is a great feeling. I really encourage everyone to take part in Canteen Run at least once in their lives. I had never had the opportunity to really interact with the homeless population, but it was a very eye-opining experience. Canteen Run was a great opportunity and I am very glad I was able to participate.