COMMUNiTY SERViCE

Roast Beef Dinner
NOVEMBER 3, 2007 (4pm – 9pm)

Twice a year my church has a roast beef dinner where members of the church volunteer to help out. My mom, brother, and I, always make sure that we are free on those dates to help out. When we get there we have to set up all of the tables, prepare the food, etc. Everyone helps out in different ways. Some people are in the kitchen preparing the food, some people are getting deserts ready, some people are running food up and down the stairs for people who want to do take out, some people are seating people at the tables, and other people are helping serve the actual food, clear the tables, and reset them for the next group of people. The dinner starts at 5 and lasts until 8. We have to go in early to make sure that everything is ready to go and we have to stay an hour after to clean everything up. The way it works is there is tables set up and most of them seat about ten. We fill them all up as people walk in and after they are done eating, we clear the table and reset it, and get another group of people. This event is advertised throughout the town and there is always a big sign promoting it outside the church.
Most of the people who come are elderly. They come in smiling, ready to eat dinner. An older woman said to me “I am just so happy to be here and see everyone smiling and the best thing is I get to sit down and have a beautiful dinner with other people who aren’t my family but feel like it”. I was really touched by what she said. It made me feel good that we are able to feel people welcome and that they are wanted.
When people sit down to eat, they talk amongst each other and laugh. I can almost say that everyone tells us how good the meal was and can’t wait for the next roast beef dinner.