Volunteering at: Inn from the Cold!

Inn from the Cold is a great place that provides shelter from the cold, offering a haven for the vulnerable homeless population in Calgary. The shelter features a large kitchen, an expansive family room, a playroom and semi-private rooms for guests and laundry facilities. At Inn from the Cold, they offer safe habitation to seniors and families. Greeted by creatively crafted gingerbread houses at the entrance of the kitchen, my spirits were uplifted to a cheery mood and I was eager to roll up my sleeves and help with food preparations for the evening.

Volunteering at Inn from the Cold is definitely one of my favourite volunteer projects to be involved in. The patrons of the services Inn from the Cold provide are quite pleasant and friendly, and it was quite heartening to watch our volunteer work directly benefit. We were quickly delegated into various tasks around the kitchen, with WeiJia (a fellow blogger) labeling lunch bags and stamping them with the appropriate dates, myself digging in their massive freezer for boxes of juice, oranges and tasty snacks,  and with the remaining volunteers preparing and actually making several stacks of sandwiches. The first hour or so passed quickly as I had to operate as a one woman human assembly line until WeiJia joined me in neatly lining up brown paper bags and packing them each with one fruit, one snack, a yogurt container, a sandwich and a drink. The interesting moment during the process were definitely when WeiJia and I realized that spoons were most likely needed to be stuffed along into the bags if the yogurt was to be eaten, so we had to scurry madly around the kitchen to find a box of disposable spoons and re-include them into the already packed paper brown bags.

After properly finishing the preparation of the lunches, the volunteer team and I were ready for phase two of our volunteer shift: the serving of the masses. Snapping on rubber gloves and moving into the main dining room, the pounding of a herd of feet coming down the stairs were quite audible and signaled to us that it was dinner time. Standing in front of huge serving trays, the meal for the night was a hearty hot dog and a bun, Mac n’ Cheese ( which surprisingly was more identifiable as macaroni noodles and cheese, rather than the mashed up, melting into mush kind that I usually eat), and rather spicy chicken wings. I slowly observed the various patrons of Inn From the Cold as I ladled out steaming hot dogs, and was surprised at the varying size and ages of the families and seniors.

After serving all the members of Inn from the Cold, the volunteer team and I were able to relax ourselves and enjoy in the same meal we had just volunteered to serve out. Quite delicious, it was a truly rewarding break, as I felt the volunteer team and I started to bond a little closer, socializing and sharing stories around the table, just like a family might. I can only guess we became more comfortable to express ourselves, as we were surrounded by the wonderfully warm atmosphere of sharing a meal with other families.

The dining room was, in all reality, an atmosphere of warmth and care as families shared just a simple meal together. Laughter and smiles are frequently exchanged, and it was quite heartening to observe families and seniors, even when forcibly placed in a distressing situation filled with many challenges and difficulties, manage to bond closer with their families or one another and to find the joy of support and love from those experiencing the same situation. However, they also found assistance from those who are not in the same situation as them and who volunteer to help out. What the patrons of Inn From the Cold  have is an interconnected community, a supportive network that constantly assists these families and seniors. They are able to look forward to a new tomorrow and are able find the silver lining in every cloud.

Come out and to volunteer, as there is no doubt not only will you have a great time, but you will make an incredible difference in your community! Quoting Mother Teresa, “We cannot do great things. But we can only do little things with great love.” For great volunteer opportunities, sign up with Inn From the Cold directly or find awesome projects at Youth Central.