A Feature Style Narrative: My Experience Volunteering in Downtown Indianapolis, Serving Food to Homeless People

People gathered along the sidewalk, packed in a tight line, their stomachs growling with hunger, eagerly awaiting a hot meal. A gentle breeze rustles through my hair, and the temperature hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the city of Indianapolis. The crowd, diverse and varied, includes, children, men, woman, the elderly, and people of all races. Five tables are set up, covered with food and drinks, ready to serve the homeless. A report from the National Coalition for homeless states that since January 2013, 21 cities have enacted measures to restrict people from feeding the homeless (Barclay). Luckily, Indianapolis allows its residents to serve the homeless through their hardships. The food that was served was not canned or store-bought like frozen meals. It was made by people who invested time and effort into preparing healthy, nutritious dishes. 

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I arrived early to volunteer, but there was no trailer in sight as I had been told. This made me extremely nervous because I felt out of place in my nice car, wearing clean clothes, and sitting while a line of homeless people were already forming, watching me. I texted Darrian Stanger, who was the head of the operation, to express my nervousness. She gave me directions about where the volunteers would bring the food and informed me that they were running late.

 

As I saw tables being set up in front of my car, I decided it would be a good time to get out and check if I was in the right spot. I approached a tall, bald, dark man and asked if I was in the right place. He gave me a side hug and said yes. I locked my car and walked around anxiously until I saw Steve. Steve, directing like a conductor, had taken over the operation because Darrian had a last-minute church duty. When he arrived, I introduced myself and asked, "What can I help with?" He replied kindly, "Nothing right now because the trucks with the food aren't here yet." I waited around nervously, hoping to have something to do soon.

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I was chatting with Mike, a dedicated church volunteer, about how incredible it is that they provide for homeless people. He explained, "Three churches make it possible to serve food every other Saturday: Brandywine, Post Road Christian Church, and New Pal Christian Church." I wondered who was behind all the food preparation and the supply of cold food, hot food, drinks, desserts, toiletries, and extra items. Mike shared that these churches have been serving food for 20 consecutive years every other Saturday. Seven people from the New Pal Christian Church alone handle all of the hot food. I was astonished, considering the amount of hot food that was provided.

 

Two out of five tables were loaded with crock pots of pork chops, chicken legs, chicken thighs, sausages, pulled pork, sloppy joes, and hamburgers, alongside pans of lasagna, ham, mac and cheese, and green beans. The third table contained cold food and desserts like bananas, apples, pasta salad, cupcakes, and cookies. Across from the serving tables, two more tables offered energy drinks, soda, water, cat litter, diapers, canned soup, boxed macaroni, coffee pods, coffee creamer, broth, crackers, and disposable silverware. I was truly amazed and delighted to see the abundance of food and necessities provided to those in need. In my home town, we don't have anything like this and I was really inspired by how these churches support the community, especially the less fortunate. 

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As I was preparing for this experience, I realized that in many places, volunteering and serving food to homeless people is often frowned upon or even restricted. According to a report from NPR, James Coleman said volunteering is, "Almost to the point of it being nonexistent, except primarily from church members that are supporting an organizational mission." This is a sad reality; there aren't many organizations serving food to the homeless other than churches. Greg, a man featured in the documentary film Dark Days said, "This is one of the safest spots you can eat from. You know? 'Cause the food is clean." The food was from the trash. Without volunteers and organizations serving food, people are left to eat out of trash cans or other unsanitary places. It is even harder to get volunteers if cities don't allow people to serve food to the homeless. In 2014, Arnold Abbott, a 90-year-old man, and two local pastors were arrested in Fort Lauderdale for serving food to the homeless in a public area (Aljazeera). Aljazeera news reported that, "The ordinance requires feeding sites to be more than 152 metres away from each other and 500 feet from residential properties. Only one group distributing food to the homeless is allowed to operate on an individual city block at any one time." These restrictions significantly decrease the rates of volunteering and affect the homeless community negatively. 

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As it got closer to 1 pm, people became more eager to get their hot food. A woman with cold, wrinkled hands places hers on mine and says, "If anything happens here get out and just leave. There is a guy with a knife and people are getting upset others are cutting. If something happens run to your car and leave." My heart pounded, but I remained hopeful that I could volunteer in an environment without violence. I was shocked that some were threatening others for cutting in line, especially since we had plenty of food for everyone. While we were unpacking the truck, a man who appeared to be in his late 20's said, ​"Is there going to be anything but bananas, I need something hot," before the food was placed onto the respective tables. I was taken aback by this comment because this operation is a kind gesture to those in need, yet some people take it for granted by making comments like that. 

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People who experience homelessness often lack proper nutrition in their meals. In writing about homelessness and nutrition, nutrition experts note, “Health disparities among people experiencing homelessness are likely exacerbated by limited access to healthy, fresh, and minimally processed foods" (Wetherill). They claim that many health issues in homeless individuals can be caused by poor nutrition. Public Health professors from San Diego University and University of Alberta agree with the nutrition experts that health concerns are linked to limited access to quality food by saying, "The health problems facing homeless persons result from various factors, including a lack of housing, racism and discrimination, barriers to health care, a lack of access to adequate food and protection, limited resources for social services, and an inadequate public health infrastructure" (Sleet). There are many reasons why people in the homeless community have various health issues, but the lack of nutrients is concerning and should be addressed. Several people I served food too that had noticeable health issues, such as being in wheelchairs. The operation provided quality food that was packed with nutrients. It is clear that the meal served every other Saturday is the best quality food they eat all month. Volunteers serving meals may not realize the significant impact they have on the health of each person who receives a plate. 

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When the volunteers started serving food, I couldn't help but notice the diversity of everyone in line. There were babies, elderly people, men, woman, and people of various races. Most people thanked each volunteer and said, "God bless you." However, some made disgusted faces when I offered them lasagna, scrunching their noses and raising their upper lip, instead of just saying "no thank you."

 

After getting their plates, people would sit somewhere on the grass to eat. I noticed that some of the people in line were friends and they would eat together. By bringing the community together, this operation brought smiles to every volunteer and homeless person.

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I appreciated everyone's kind words as I was serving them food. I felt sympathy for every person in line, especially since I have an amazing support system, the ability to eat food everyday, and have everything I could ever need. This experience made me so thankful for everything I have and everyone in my life. I am so blessed to be able to eat high-quality food everyday and have the ability to help others in my community. This operation triggered my values of caring for others and has made me want to start something like this in my hometown over the summer. I felt so helpful knowing I contributed to society after this experience. I would definitely recommend others to do what I did, as it helped every person in need who showed up.

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When all of the food was gone and there was nobody else in line, the other volunteers and I started packing up the truck with tables, leftover drinks, and boxed food. We consolidated recyclable boxes into one to make it easier for Mike and the other leaders to recycle when they got back to their church.

 

Once everything was loaded into trucks, I asked Mike if there was anything else he needed me to do. He had nothing for me to do and thanked me for helping out. He took a picture of me and another volunteer and wished me luck in college. The people involved in the church who led the operation were very welcoming and kind toward me. I felt like I had a purpose and that they wanted me to be there throughout my time volunteering. I will never forget this experience. I will continue to spread awareness about the lack of nutrients homeless people face in their diets and encourage other people to volunteer. 

 

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Works Cited 

Barclay, Eliza. More Cities Are Making It Illegal To Hand Out Food To The Homeless, edited by Thomas Evans, wwwNational Public Radio, 8 Nov. 2014, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/10/22/357846415/more-cities-wwware-making-it-illegal-to-hand-out-food-to-the-homeless. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.

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Martin, Michel, and Steve Inskeep. Volunteering in the U.S. is on the decline, reports say, edited by Kelly McBride, National Public Radio, 13 Dec. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/12/13/1218999240/volunteering-in-the-u-s-is-on-the-decline-reports-say. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.

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Singers, Marc, producer. Dark Days. Directed by Marc Singers, The Sundance Channel, Columbia Pictures, 2000. Accessed 22 Sept. 2024.

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Sleet, David A, and Louis Hugo Francescutti. “Homelessness and Public Health: A Focus on Strategies and Solutions.” International journal of environmental research and public health vol. 18,21 11660. 6 Nov. 2021, doi:10.3390/ijerph182111660

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"US activist faces jail for feeding homeless." Aljazeera, 8 Nov. 2014, www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/11/8/us-activist-faces-jail-for-feeding-homeless. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.

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Wetherill, Marianna S et al. “Food Is Medicine for Individuals Affected by Homelessness: Findings from a Participatory Soup Kitchen Menu Redesign.” Nutrients vol. 15,20 4417. 18 Oct. 2023, doi:10.3390/nu15204417

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