Rome has been, in the past half a month, everything I have expected and some things that I did not. I expected the cobblestone, although I did not expect how much I would love the public transportation here. I did expect to face communication issues, but I did not expect to find that the courtyard doors in Italy aren’t the same as doors in the States. Or in China, for that matter. The last thing that I expected to find, though, was hope.
Yet I found it anyway during this excursion volunteering at the soup kitchen. When I first arrived at the soup kitchen, I got very lost. Three of the people who later came in for food had to help me figure out which buzzer to press, despite them not knowing English and me only really knowing how to say ‘non capisco’ in Italian. But one of them knew enough English to ask me, “Volunteer?” and I knew enough Italian to respond, “Si”, so together we got me inside.
Once inside, the confusion did not stop. Luckily, one of the locals spoke English, and he helped me figure everything out. Though I didn’t understand, the other workers went out of their way to make me feel welcome. One of them, after saying a string of Italian words to my new friend, turned to me and said, “You’re welcome.” At first, I was confused, because I hadn’t said grazie. After I understood, I did feel a little more welcome.
I didn’t feel truly welcome, though, until work started. Part of that was because I was one of two Americans, I was the only person of color, and most of the volunteers were older. But more so than that, I had yet to find my footing. Setting up chairs and wiping down tables, I expected. Gathering together to say a prayer led by one of the Catholic scouts before opening, I did not. Once I put on the apron, got a kitchen towel, and people started coming in, however, I remembered my passion for volunteering.
A lot and nothing happened simultaneously at the soup kitchen. A lot, because there was always a table that needed a wiping down or was running out of water. I learned how to say, “Would you like water?” in Italian (Vorresti più acqua?), which I managed to say to two tables and, wait for it, they understood me. One of the patrons, who I didn’t understand because she was speaking in Spanish, jumped at another patron. I watched and tried to learn how the other workers were able to handle the unpredictability of communal spaces. I received three questions about if I was Chinese and one unfortunate ni hao – an almost clumsy way of attempting to connect.
But there was also a lot of nothing. Most of the time, I simply waited for a dish or a cup to be cleared so I could swoosh in and take it away without notice.
What there was, though, was hope. Being there with the other volunteers and the patrons themselves, it is hard not to see how important caring is. The other volunteers seemed to know one another, having an easy-sounding banter (still can’t speak Italian). Some of them also joked familiarly with the patrons, further reminding me that this is a long-standing community that I am lucky enough to join for a day. The patrons, too, would care for one another. I watched as one man stretched out his cup towards the person sitting across from him, wordlessly asking if he could have some of her Coke. Without a word, she poured them both a cup. A group of four transwomen sat together, sometimes laughing and sometimes singing, sharing both the meal and their joy.
In the end, it was this type of community and solidarity that created the feeling of hope. The soup kitchen didn’t teach me a lesson I didn’t know. But this lesson is difficult to learn and easily forgotten. So, the soup kitchen reminded me that even when things are hard, hope does not require fluency or permanence, only willingness and community. These spaces are precious and need all of us, and I can’t wait to continue to seek out and contribute to this hope in my host city throughout the rest of this semester.
Having opportunities to serve the community are special, especially when you’re able to do it abroad. Check out the Temple Rome program page to see how you can study abroad during your academic career!