Thursday 12 January 2017

January 14, 2009

Dear Friends:

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
Stooped shoulders, an air of confidence, a roll of the eyes, expressions of gratefulness, two-hundred and sixty thumbs up!

Gail Wilkinson, our indispensible afternoon volunteer who later ladles soup as she keeps a watchful eye on the guests e-mailed me today to say, “Last night's guests seemed quite content and quiet after a bowl of soup and bread - maybe it was an illusion, but the tone seemed different than it has in the last little while.  Perhaps everyone was so cold, they didn't have any energy left to even chat.”  We all agreed. The over-capacity crowd was quiet, many with exhausted, stooped shoulders over their warm soup.

Delicious vegetable lentil soup prepared by our new kitchenette, tiny Joanne Pomerantz who was promoted on only her second time at OOTC. No recipe needed, just free reign of the pantry and plenty of sous-chefs to wash and chop.  Were we worried?  No way. Joanne had an air of confidence and authority. BTW, Gail’s ladling arm emptied all five pots of soup. Off to Physio we go! The dinner was divine!  I can’t remember back to our planning meeting in October which chef suggested chicken with a cranberry-orange sauce, but last night, it was simply divine. Guest after guest praised the cook, Patricia.  “How do you do this all the time?  Every week you out-do yourselves.”  “I can taste each and every flavour.” I asked guest, Andre, if he would EVER have anything but praise for our meals. He rolled his eyes as if to say, “Like that’s ever going to happen?”  One man caught my eye during dinner as he ate his meal. He put down his fork and gave us two thumbs up.

There were 130 guests for dinner and 27 slept over. Your donations of winter coats, sweaters, gloves, hats, boots have made many of these people more comfortable during this frigid week. Can’t even communicate their expressions of gratefulness when a desperate individual can be satisfied. No words can relay the surprise and the relief. What you’re giving may seem small, but it is not, at all. Thank you for wearing your own expressions: of calm, of eagerness to care and serve, of friendship, of warmth.

See you next week,

Cindy

Responses:

HI Cindy, as always you seem to know just what to say after our "out of the cold" weekly experience! I definitely thought that all the guests were quiet and grateful and happy to be somewhere warm------Thank you for doing such a great job!   Take care and see you next week. Jeanette

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