In past years, I have volunteered a few times at soup kitchens at home, so I expected to be familiar with the happenings of this event. However, what was new to me and what I found beautiful, is the collaboration between the different groups that work with this organization.
Mensa, Giovanni Paolo II is one of the chapters within the Caritas Roma organization, which works with the 8 other outreach services to help those living in marginalization. They are a non-profit organization whose “primary goal of these efforts is to help everyone experience witness, not just as a private matter, but as a community experience.” Those who attend the soup kitchen are registered in a system that is monitored by these multiple areas of intervention to ensure that every individual is getting the help they need and deserve. It is amazing how they come together to ensure that all the people facing exclusion and inequality by observing who is going to which places for help, and with this strategy, they are able to pin down any issues to help alleviate them.
We were each assigned specific jobs, so I can only truly talk on one aspect of this event, which was checking in those coming to the soup kitchen and handing out tickets. It may sound like a bit boring, but it turned out to be very eye opening for me. Firstly, there were many different personalities that I encountered – tired and quiet, happy and boisterous, and angry and annoyed. I can of course understand these individuals portraying every one of these characteristics, those attending are living difficult lives, from migration to homelessness. My job here proved to not be as uneventful as I anticipated, as we did encounter some people who were very bossy and rude, but also those who sang with us and danced with joy. Funnily, many were fascinated with my American accent, and many were thankful for our help, even if it was just to hand them a ticket for their food. I was incredibly tired after, but I felt very fulfilled.
Now, recalling my experience with soup kitchens, I did expect there to be older people attending this event, as that is usually how it is in the United States. I was shocked to be talking to people who were probably the same age as me. I was checking in one girl who could not have been older than me, and that truly shook me to my core. I got a chill down my spine when she looked at me with deep, sad eyes, and I wanted to learn so much more about her than just her name. I was so surprised to be met with such a wide age range of individuals all in need of help. Many of them were migrants who are either seeking asylum or had stopped in Rome on their way to more northern European countries to escape the lives they must be running away from. With this, I met people who spoke varying languages like Italian, French, Arabic, and English. There were many backpackers with large bags on their backs – I was saddened to see them traveling with their entire lives in one backpack, especially with my American habit of overconsumption that is truly a privilege to have.
It was a fascinating experience being able to help in a community that I am adopted into for the next few months. I really stress the importance of not invading a community, rather assimilating in it and becoming one with those whose home you are stepping into. I try to be conscious of that every time I travel, and this event really gave me a different perspective on how to be of help rather than to gentrify. Additionally, I was even able to connect with some locals who were also volunteering, one of whom definitely helped me with speaking Italian by teaching me many words and phrases. It was nice being able to not only be of help, but to also be helped in navigating this new city that I will be calling home for the next few months.