Feeding our Less-Able Bros & Sis as my Bday Bash

To make my birthday extra special and meaningful, off i went to Hoboken Shelter, Hoboken, NJ on June 17; and Goodwill Rescue Mission, Newark, NJ on June 19 to help prepare and serve meals.

The Hoboken Shelter feeds 75-100 people and sleeps 30-35 men and women nightly. The Goodwill Rescue Mission offers help to Newark's poor and disadvantaged. Every day of the year, Goodwill serves three meals a day to 150 meals/people in need.

As always, it was a rewarding experience to reach out and serve our disadvantaged borthers and sisters. What struck me the most was when I served this nice-looking and composed man. As he approached with his plate towards me, he greeted, 'kumusta ka?'. And we started a little chit-chat in our native language. He was the only Filipino in line and didnt look disheveled at all. I asked myself what could have possibly happened to him - left by the family and alone struggling alone to make it? I brought home with me its mystery and sadness that I couldnt help blurt out of his situation during dinner with my husband. For sure, he did not have even $5 in his pocket otherwise he could have bought himself a Mc Chicken or any burger around Hoboken strip to save him the trouble of queueing up.

How much do we have in our pockets? How much do we spend for our lunch? For our vices and unnecessary things? These people barely have any.

I appreciate my husband's gesture and effort of waiting for me with JC outside the shelter during the whole feeding time.

Take a look at the pictures. At Hoboken Shelter, we prepared tuna with pasta, green salad (which is considered as a luxury, happens only once in a blue moon), bread and fruits. I prepared the salad myself and tuna with Jessie. Jerry, Shanon and Andrew, Kitchen Manager, did the boiling of pasta and eggs, slicing of the bread and cleaning of the fruits. Ops yeah, I almost forgot, I still had to ran 10 blocks to A&P Mart for a gallon of mayonnaise. At Goodwill Rescue Mission, meals were already prepared and what we did was to serve the meals to over 100 people. There were generous servings of hotdogs, corn, green beans and bread. I did it with Donna who's been doing it for 5 years or so, 14-year old Kayla, James, Mike and the coordinator. The Goodwill Rescue Mission is like 3x bigger than the Hoboken Shelter.

It was awesome, I had fun! I want to do this all time!