Serve Lunch at Siena Francis House

I volunteered during a Friday morning and lunch shift, helping prepare food and serving meals, and I can not say enough positive things about my experience with this organization, its people and the hundreds of individuals The Siena House serves each hour of the day. I walked into the main entrance and was kindly assisted by the front desk staff. I met staff and other volunteers for the day, before beginning to plate desserts to serve at dinner. This took a majority of my morning shift, plating food onto industrial baking sheets. During this time, I had great encounters with staff, including Dan and Richard, and others, and got to witness firsthand the impact of the shelters programming. Everyone was kind, respectful and informative. They cared about their job and successfully providing meals for the homeless. I also met another nice volunteer from Conagra. During lunch, I plated warm food and vegetables onto food trays for around 50 women, followed by about 300-350 men. Another small group of businessman volunteered. It was meaningful to greet and interact with the homeless of our community. We were in a winter advisory this day, and it was a humbling reminder about how unsafe the climate can be in the Midwest if you are without shelter, a bathroom or appropriate clothing. After lunch, I picked and cleaned up the area.