There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you offer food to someone who doesn’t have any, and then watch their expression change from pain to gratitude, even if it’s just for a moment. By volunteering at the Food Outreach project in Sydney, I was able to get a deeper understanding into the many communities that exist within the city, which we don’t often see in pretty advertising.
I came in wanting to learn about who it is that was standing in the sometimes cold and sometimes extreme heat, everyday, waiting to be served a meal by volunteers. For better or worse, I found out that there was not one specific type of person. While the project is geared towards the homeless, I saw people of all different ages, genders, races and poverty; all looking for a bit of help during their time of need.
I think what touched me the most was how even though I came to them with the specific intention of offering them food that we had prepared, and warm drinks, they were still sometimes shy to ask me for that extra teaspoon of sugar, or another cup of hot coffee.
It’s funny but when an average person hears that something is being offered for free, there are usually disruptive crowds and people grabbing more than they have space for, yet here, everyone took just enough to fulfill their needs and then continued on their way.
It was an absolute pleasure to help out the often disadvantaged community that exists in Sydney, to learn about their hardships and to see it all with the backdrop of one of Australia’s wealthiest and most beautiful cities.
