In the economic chaos and the increasingly poor job market, it's the marginalized in our cities that seem to fall through the net of protection. The reality in the inner city is alot more people are falling through. We continue to see increasing numbers at the Rainbow Kitchen, and there not all the stereotypical crystal meth addicts. Its a collage of faces living in poverty. It's folks suffering with addiction, or worse the mentally ill with addiction problems, seniors living below the poverty line that can afford accommodation but not food, folks in part time jobs making minimum wage that juggle trying to paying for a room and food, it's single moms with kids.
A friend working at the Mustard Seed Food Bank Warehouse told me last month alone they had an increase of 700 people using there services. The injustice of poverty, homelessness and hunger are growing.
The Rainbow Kitchen about three years ago was feeding about 45 people a day. Monday morning the line stretched down Henry Street around the corner, down Catherine Street to Esquimalt Road, 160 meals were served.
This month we have kids and teachers from Monterey Middle School doing alot of the Monday meal preparation. For most of these kids it was a first to see poverty up close. The set tables, served the food, picked up dirty plates and cutlery. But it was cool to see the kids engage the guests that frequent the kitchen. One young boy dropping of a trolley of dirty plates into the kitchen made the comment, " there like ordinary people." They are ordinary people, wonderful people if you take the time to get to know them. Even just to sit and eat with them and listen to there stories is a privilege, something to be cherished.
What we were was really short of help today, not so much in the meal preparation but the overall clean up at the end. So much so, I had to recruit some of the street folk I've come to know. Kelly, a wonderful young woman struggling with mental health issues and addiction helped me washing dishes...alot of cutlery feeding a 160. She never complains, is so grateful for what the kitchen does. " We're loved here and treated with dignity", Kelly said.
All the guests of the Rainbow Kitchen express the same sentiments. The Rainbow Kitchen is a ray of hope in the midst of their day. For me it is my favourite day of the week, not because I can puff myself because I'm doing something good. No, it's because I've become apart of this community. I look forward to seeing these people every week, the conversations, the laughter, the tears and the prayers. It is communion in different sense, the reality of brokeness around a meal.
But, the Rainbow Kitchen desperately needs help almost everyday, if you can volunteer even a couple of hours between 10 am to 2 pm, they can use your help.
Please volunteer >>>>> Here
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