Nora: Journal 7

Day 7 (November 8):

Our day at the Cherry St. Mission felt like a very productive one. I was in a group that started out by sorting boxes of food in the back. We got some serious shenanigans done. I especially liked serving the food... the insect infested food. No, but really. That was not the most sanitary place I've been to. Many of the people were friendly, which was good to see; it always makes me happy when I witness something like that. I know stereotyping and prejudice are both ridiculous and sadly, not uncommon. Seeing these people defy the stereotype of people in poor areas with financial difficulties as being criminal, dumb, and rude made me smile. Most people I served said 'thank you' and gave a friendly greeting. There was a man that I didn't serve that saw me walking by and greeted me. A couple people came up to thank the people that were behind the counter putting food on plates and then turned to thank us. Before we served the food, we had a prayer circle in the kitchen. I'm not a religious person, but I try to show respect for those who are, even if I feel uncomfortable. These people were kind of inspiring though. They were good people who had honest faith and good intentions; my beliefs may not agree with theirs, but none of that really matters. My only problem is when people use their faith as a vehicle for hate and judgement. However, the people working at Cherry Street were just plain old good people.

By: Nora Jaara