Early morning droplets of water were slithering down rooftop ice cycles on Feb. 8 as a ragtag team of do-gooders brushed their eyes of sleep and strapped up to serve a breakfast for the homeless.
The American Indian Student Alliance, in conjunction with the Sociology Club and Veteran’s Club, orchestrated a meal serving with CDA Fresh Start. Speaking personally, I had my reservations and doubts at first. There was an impenetrable chill outside I feared possibly no one would want to venture through for breakfast, and there was a weight on my shoulder. The weight was from the success of the club’s previous event that led to this one.
By the end of American Indian Student Alliance’s fall 2013 “Drive to Make a Difference” clothing drive and dinner for the homeless a storage room in the downstairs SUB had been filled with bags stacked across the floor and halfway up the wall, and five more clubs had come together for the cause: the Latino Club, Veteran’s Club, Phi Theta Kappa, Sociology Club, and the Breakthrough Club. Even the Theater department was involved and donated a good chunk of their costumery.
It was so important that we wanted to make it a tradition. And this tradition is all in the vision of one particular individual: Josh Moses, the previous President of AISA who stepped down this semester to spend more time with his wife and newborn daughter. Moses himself was homeless for a period of time and saw firsthand that the community isn’t composed of people who just want handouts—it’s people who are often in unfortunate situations and in a transitional stage, and need some help.
That’s an awful lot to have on your shoulder as President. I’d only recently taken over Moses’ position and I was afraid that the first event I was involved with as President was going to be a failure somehow.
Fortunately for us, it was a success. But the attendance was, according to Fresh Start employee Teresa Martens, larger than usual. It was even cramped. But this led to another doubt: the facilities were quite small. We had to cook as a group of ten for a total of 80 persons in an area smaller than the bedroom in which I sleep.
In spite of that fact, as well as a lack of enough electrical outlets for all of the skillets we brought and one of our spatulas breaking from the weight of stirring sausages, we cooked more than enough for everyone. Even better, we also had fun.
Sherry Mays, the AISA secretary, took the role of head chef fantastically and directed us all to our positions while simultaneously cooking eggs as Curley Larson, the Veterans Club Adviser, cracked jokes while he served up sausages. Meanwhile, Evanlene Melting Tallow, the American Indian Student Advisor, helped out everywhere she could—proud to see the finances and work she’d put into purchasing supplies worked out.
William Douglas, ex-Chief Judge for the Coeur d’Alene tribe, was so happy volunteering with the group that he donated $100 to AISA after the event, which AISA added 10 to and donated to Fresh Start. Meanwhile, I cracked eggs and whisked them with Diana Smith of the Sociology Club while the Vets Club made pancakes and everyone else covered various activities.
