Reflections on being a Culture & Identity Envoy in Rome
I believe I can speak for most people when it comes to traveling. We want to experience the best, most beautiful, can’t-be-missed parts of an area, right? This is my first time traveling not only to Rome, or to Europe, but overseas in general. The list of things that I want to do, see, and (of course) eat is a looong one! At the top of my list of places to visit are the Colosseum, the famous Trevi Fountain, and the breathtakingly beautiful Sistine Chapel… but then there’s also dozens of piazzas and museums I want to meander through, and all the random churches I pass by that I want to sit in for hours and just simply exist in. Then there’s all the food- all the pastas, and pizzas, and scoops of gelato that I want to try (and definitely should have brought extra stretchy pants for)! There’s so much I want to experience here while I have the chance. Despite the incredible opportunity of being able to study abroad and actually live here, in the heart of Rome, for 3 ½ months, it still doesn’t feel like enough time! With so many incredible things to experience here, you may be just as surprised as I was to discover that my favorite part thus far has been my experience volunteering at the Mensa Caritas (charity table) Giovanni Paolo II.
Mensa Caritas Giovanni Paolo II is a soup kitchen located in Rome that is committed to serving disadvantaged people living in the city and promotes charity and brotherhood amongst its citizens. They are open for lunch 7 days a week, including all holidays. When I volunteered, it was a Friday afternoon, and the organization served lunch to 415 people within about 3 hours. This was my first time volunteering at a soup kitchen. Before then, I assumed it would be similar to what I often saw on TV or in movies- each visitor would receive a bowl of soup, or maybe a sandwich, and then be on their way. I was taken aback when I learned that the Mensa Caritas does so much more than that!
Not only do visitors get a free meal, and a hefty one at that, the organization also assists them with getting aid from different rehabilitation centers around the city to get them back on their feet. It reminded me of the famous adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for the rest of his life.” At the Mensa Caritas, they’re not just treating the symptom of hunger, they’re also trying to remedy each visitor’s issue of poverty. As stated previously, I’ve never volunteered for a soup kitchen before, but something tells me this probably isn’t the case with soup kitchens in America. In the U.S., it feels more like a “good luck out there, you’re on your own” type of system. If anything, this experience has inspired me to learn more about the issue of food insecurity in the U.S. and look for more opportunities where I can lend a helping hand.
While volunteering, I was tasked with asking each visitor, within my assigned section, to show me their ID card, have them physically sign in on their own personal attendance sheet for the month, then hand them a meal ticket that they can then take to the cafeteria to receive their meal for the day. I had about 150 people come through my line. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, especially since the majority of Italian I’m able to speak is “Hello,” “Thank you” and “Good-bye.” Many of them were kind and friendly, and shared a quick greeting and a smile with me. There were also others who tried to have a conversation, people with whom I wish I could have connected with more, but all I could offer was an English “I’m sorry” and a head shake to express my lack of understanding (which turned out be in more ways than one).
What surprised me the most about my experience was, not only the amount of people, but all the different kinds of people who came for a free lunch that day. Revisiting my understanding of soup kitchens primarily being from movies and television, as well as from my time spent living in Philadelphia and visiting New York City, I always assumed a disadvantaged person living in such a state of poverty that needed to eat at a soup kitchen would have a certain type of appearance. For example, their clothes would look dirty or ragged, and their shoes would be worn out, maybe their hair would be a little messy or matted. However, that was only the case for a very small number of the visitors at Mensa Caritas. Many of them were dressed in clean, casual clothing and had a neat and tidy appearance. Despite intellectually knowing that it’s never good to ‘judge a book by its cover,’ this was still a very eye opening experience that helped to remind me that you never really know what a person is going through, especially just by looking at them. In a perfect world, we would have the chance to connect with every single person we meet and get to hear their story, and also share ours, and we’d ideally form a friendship with each other. Or at the very least, an understanding, or dare I say, an appreciation for one another. Many of us assume we know what’s going on, but the truth is, we really have no idea.
How different would the world be if we saw each person as an extension of ourselves just doing the best they can, trying to find their place in the world, wanting to be loved, accepted, and supported on their journey through life? Despite what we may think just by looking at someone (especially now with Instagram and Facebook), life isn’t easy for any of us. We all face challenges and hardships, some more than others, and some with much fewer resources. We may not be able to fix everyone’s problems, but everyone can come together so that no one has to face their problems alone.
Artwork
My experience volunteering inspired me to create a piece of art that, to me, represents how even doing just a small part to help someone can add up to make a huge difference in the lives of many. I chose to use a mosaic style of art because it can visually represent this notion, but also because of its beloved history in Italian art and culture.
I recycled the used meal tickets that the Mensa Caritas distributes to each visitor to recreate a sample cafeteria-style food tray. My image is a simplified version of what was served that day representing the main staples in an Italian diet, including pasta, bread, fresh oranges, and their beloved Fanta drink. However, each visitor received a much greater quantity of food, sometimes having two or three separate plates on their tray. Food is a huge part of Italian culture, and I was so pleased to see how this was represented, even at a charity soup kitchen.
I recycled the used meal tickets that the Mensa Caritas distributes to each visitor to recreate a sample cafeteria-style food tray. My image is a simplified version of what was served that day representing the main staples in an Italian diet, including pasta, bread, fresh oranges, and their beloved Fanta drink. However, each visitor received a much greater quantity of food, sometimes having two or three separate plates on their tray. Food is a huge part of Italian culture, and I was so pleased to see how this was represented, even at a charity soup kitchen.
The red hands on the left and right of the image vary from top to bottom. The top hands were made with the plain red part of some tickets while the bottom hands were made with the numbered part of the tickets. Although I’d like to think each person is more than just a number on a ticket, I still used the numbers to represent each person being one of the many people who are currently disadvantaged and in need of help. The top hands represent those who work and volunteer there, generously giving their time to make a difference, serving the tray of food.
Once all the pieces were down, I considered leaving it as is, but after continued reflection, it seemed too ‘pretty’ to me. The issue of poverty and food insecurity in our city, and other cities around the world, is a serious one that is not to be taken lightly or glossed over. Until we can find a solution, it’s going to require many of us to get our hands dirty to help those who are struggling. That’s when I decided to return to the piece with chalk pastels to add some more depth, dimension, and ‘messiness.’
Finally, I chose to title it “Who’s Helping Whom?” because although it’s obvious that it’s always nice to do a good deed and volunteer, and we assume we’re the ones doing the helping, it’s truly a give-and-take experience. If you really take the time to look, and pay attention to what’s happening around you, you’ll discover a new perspective on life that can also help change your own life if you let it.
Get Involved
Interested in hearing about other student’s experiences at Mensa Giovanni Paolo II? Or want to learn about other ways Temple students get to immerse themselves in a new culture while studying abroad? Check out Temple’s Culture and Identity Envoy Program and apply to be able to share your experience with others and inspire change!
Finally, let me know what you think about the mosaic I made and the story behind it? Have you had a similar experience to mine? Share with me below. 🙂