By Kate Smigelski ’15 | Staff Writer

Walking down to the basement of St. Peter’s located in downtown Detroit at 7 a.m., I never expected people to be lined up the stairs and out the door. They were mostly middle aged black men, with a few younger men scattered among them. All I could think about was how each of them had ended up at Manna Meal.

Manna Meal is a soup kitchen in Detroit, in the basement of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, on the corner of Trumbull and Michigan Ave. Anybody in need of food and warmth is welcome to go there and they will be graciously accepted. I was lucky enough to volunteer at Manna Meal on Dec. 28 with four other members from Young Life, a national Christian youth group with a chapter in Grosse Pointe, along with our leader, Carrie Sonntag.

Initially, I was nervous about volunteering. I had never done anything like this before and I was not sure what to expect. I have to admit, when I first arrived, It was very intimidating.Some of the men gave looks that made us feel out of place and uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure how the morning was going to go and I began to doubt my decision to volunteer.

 There were men all the way down the stairs that we had to maneuver around. The look of them shocked me. Most of them looked so cold, dirty and sorrowful. We walked into the kitchen and were immediately set to work. Sandwiches, both cheese and peanut butter and jelly, were being made. There were hundreds already and we made more. Ham and bean soup, mac and cheese with ham, doughnuts, bagels, and coffee were also provided. People were allowed to take as much as they wanted, or needed. Since Manna Meal is closed Sundays due to church, this was the only chance for most of these people to receive food for the weekend.

I was put on sandwich duty, along with Margaret Mollison ’15. As we began to serve, I noticed that not everyone seemed entirely grateful and appreciative for what we were doing and what they were receiving. Each person brought a different experience.

I was surprised to find that throughout the five hours we were there, each person interacted with us in completely different ways. Some of the men did not say anything to us. They would just point at what they wanted and used their fingers to tell us how many they wanted. Others, however, loved to chat. All I could think about was why each person had ended up in this situation. Some of the men looked so weary and haggard. One man’s hair was so matted down on his head that it looked like felt. The man that stood out the most however, was the opposite.

He walked in and immediately looked out of place. First of all, he was the only white man that came in all day. Although he could hardly be called a man,he looked so young. He had a radio hooked on one side of his hip, and a Bible on the other. His hat said “Hooked on Jesus.” He smiled at us and said we were doing a really good thing for these people. I did not learn his name, but he said he and his friend were starting a ministry in Detroit and it was nice to be able to get free food to help them through the day. He looked really put together and cheery. It was obvious that he loved life no matter what his situation was.

After our shift, we had the opportunity to talk with Tom Lumpkin, a priest at Day House Catholic and manager of Manna Meal. He told us that most of the men that come in aren’t capable of getting a job because they have a mental or physical disability, a lot of them aren’t capable of communicating with people. He said around half of the people there struggle with addiction to drugs or alcohol, or both. Supporting themselves, or their habits is very difficult. Most of them work odd jobs, such as handing out flyers, for below minimum wage.

 Going through this experience, I was deeply humbled. I was able to experience something completely new to me. Volunteering over the holidays humbled me and gave me the opportunity to see what less fortunate people deal with. I would do it again in a heartbeat.