Mandatory Volunteer?

So my first move as a fresh faced volunteer was to work over at Better Way House of Bargains on 79th street, moving stuff around the warehouse and whatnot. However I of course dilly-dallied and when I called Jimmy back to set up my time, he was like ‘Cool! How does the end of December sound?’ My heart fell. I had to make the dreaded email to the professor asking for the extension (always embarrassing). Armed with my extension I went back to my Plan A, Camillus House. I had also waited too long for them to apply back when I had originally looked into it. They get filled up really fast during the thanksgiving season. I sort of guess that this is a primitive white guilt instinct that kicks in just before the instinct to conspicuously consume goes into overdrive, sort of like a capitalist pre-balancing of karma.

Well Ed over at Camillus had already told me that he had open slots the first week of December. Extension in hand, I emailed him back to confirm that the slot was still available. He said that it was and I headed over there after work. I was rushing, so I did not get to put on at shirt and sneakers et al. so I went in there in a starched dress shirt (I left the tie in the car). I found Vita, aka Miss Vita aka Miss ’V’ and she put me to work.

We served the first group, the small line (roughly about 50-60 people). Then we scrubbed pots and pans and got set for the big line (I was shocke dthat the first line turned out notto be the 'Big Line' that Miss V told me about) at 6:30, which was easily 4 times that. There were upper phase clients helping us and all kinds of people running around. AT about 6 a whole team of EMT trainees came to serve the dinner. There was also a dude who was doing court ordered stuff and his whole extended family came in to see if he could leave at one point. He was really funny, just an uptight Hispanic dude, also in a dress shirt, looking around helplessly.

I felt like a fish out of water at first. I obviously had no clue what was going on or who to listen to. I wnt for the dished because I figured that I knew how to do that and that I would make friends easier, being that no one likes to scrub pots after pots after trays after pots etc. etc. The strategy worked and I felt comfortable and the regular upper phase clients seemed to appreciate the scrubbing. Miss Vita put on some old school funk mixed with Miami freestyle: Cameo followed by Debbie Deb followed by Egyptian Lover followed by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force – you get the picture, Miss V was dope and it made the pots much smoother. I got extra points for knowing all the music and also for having seen Cameo, as well as Egyptian Lover live.

I did feel kind of like a schmuck asking them to take a picture. I explained to them that it was for school. At first they assumed I was in trouble with the Law, since most volunteers are either of that group or with a group from work or church. I told them ‘see you next Wednesday.’ Miss V said ‘we would love to have you back anytime you want. ‘ I was covered in dish water and sweat by the time I got the guts for the picture. I wished I had the minerals to get one in the beginning so I could have a before and after. Next time I will.

I felt very good on the way home, having alleviated some white guilt that had been building.