Guests of The Night Ministry: The UU Explorers Class Serves the Guests of The Night Ministry

Written by Monica Drane, Second Unitarian Member and Walker S., a Second Unitarian 5th Grader

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 26, 2008 eleven adults and eleven children gathered at Second Unitarian Church to prepare a meal, made with food donated by members and friends of 2U, for the guests of The Night Ministry.  In assembly-line fashion, they made 200 sandwiches and prepared 200 sack suppers, complete with a sandwich, a napkin, a bag of chips, and a piece of fruit.  They made ten gallons of chicken noodle soup and 200 brownies–from scratch.
 
That evening, ten people, including five of the children in the UU Explorers Sunday school class (children in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades) and their teacher delivered the food and served the meal to the Humbolt Park guests of The Night Ministry.
 
 
Walker S., a 5th grader in that class, writes:
We drove to Humbolt Park with 200 dinners prepared.  It was most of the kids in my Sunday school class, several moms, and our teacher, Paul.  There were many of us serving and there was lots of food, so we had to use multiple vehicles to get there.  The Night Ministry bus was parked in a bus stop on a street corner next to a big grassy area.  We served the meal from around 7 until about 8:30 p.m.  By the time we finished, it was getting pretty dark.
 
When we had served about 75 people, we had almost run out of food.  Most people asked for ham and cheese sandwiches and Doritos, so those bags ran out first.  Now, we were down to plain cheese, and turkey and cheese sandwiches.  Most people didn’t want what we had, but they were hungry, so they took it.  About 15 minutes later, the only food left was soup.
 
It was rather alarming when we saw children asking for food with not nearly as much clothing as the weather required.  I saw a 12-year old riding on a bike with only a sleeveless shirt when I, myself, was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, two jackets, and a hat.  There was even a little girl of only about three years old in nothing but a t-shirt and pants.
 
Serving made me feel comfortable and uncomfortable.  Some people were very nice and considerate; they took only one bag of food for each member of their group.  They were polite and I felt happy to be serving them.  Others, I was unsure about.  They either took three or four bags of food for themselves or they said, “I have children and a wife at home and these are for them” and I wasn’t sure they were telling the truth.  I was hesitant to give them the several bags they requested because there were more people to be served, but I did so nonetheless.  I knew that they did not have nearly as many resources as I do and if they were asking for food, then they should get the food.
 
In my Sunday school class, our teacher has talked to us about the Good Samaritan and has shown us pictures of people we know, friendly looking people, and not-so friendly looking people.  He then asked us, for each of the pictures, “Would you help this person?”  We talked about “the thing.”  “The thing” is the tendency from deep inside of you that tells you “don’t help this person because this person is frightening.”  Paul talked about how you should always help someone, even if he or she looks frightening, because each person is important and we need to treat all people with compassion.
 
Sometimes when I was serving the meal at The Night Ministry bus, I felt this “thing.”  But I knew what was right and I fulfilled that duty to serve people who needed my help.
  
Background:  The Sunday before the children served the meal, the Reverend Julie Delezenne, Coordinator of Community and Congregational Relations for The Night Ministry, spoke to the children in the UU Explorers class during Sunday school.  She provided the students with information about the guests of The Night Ministry, about Second Unitarian’s connection to The Night Ministry, and about the history and the mission of The Night Ministry.  The students asked questions and shared their feelings about homelessness and hunger.
 
Since this Sunday school year has been devoted to the study of the Jewish and Christian roots of Unitarian Universalism, the students in the UU Explorers class have spent time reading the Bible.  Among other stories they have read is the story of The Good Samaritan.  They connected that story to the first two Unitarian Universalist principles:  to treat each person as important and special, and to show compassion toward others.
 
Follow-up:  In discussions during Sunday school class, over the few weeks following The Night Ministry event, the children have been able to reflect on their experience with The Night Ministry and to connect it with their Unitarian Universalist faith.  They have also been able to deepen their understanding of homelessness by reading a novel about homelessness called Monkey Island, by Paula Fox.

Learn more about how our children serve others…

Updated on June 16, 2008 KHS