London is a very busy city in the fast-paced part of the world. Work and daily tasks easily take over, sometimes too often. Any other idea or wish to do something that is out of those parameters is simply and constantly postponed. It is easy to procrastinate. And there I was, busy working and studying, caring for my mischievous cat and the daily routine. Until my manager asked me to find some volunteer work as team bonding activity, together for a good cause.
It really surprised me to find out that volunteering with work colleagues might require paying a fee to do so. The concept did not sit well with me and I started browsing to find something that was meaningful, and not fancy (therefore chargeable).
Finding Sant’Egidio
And there it was …the Community of Sant’Egidio. With its Rounds of Friendship on Wednesdays, and the monthly Our Cup of Tea meal.
What really drew my attention was the idea of helping future friends, not people in need. I now know the meaning of that insightful message.
I then contact the coordinator, and we arrange a day for us colleagues to volunteer for one of the weekly Rounds of Friendship. At the same time, I find out about Our Cup of Tea, the free monthly dinner, and I wanted to participate to understand a bit more. The outcome of that day is mind blowing.
Our Cup of Tea
Arriving to this magnificent church I am greeted so warmly by some of the volunteers who try to make me feel immediately part of the group. While I admire the beauty of the church, the volunteers approach me asking how I was, if I would like a coffee, introducing themselves and making me feel less of a fish out of the bowl. I soon realise we are all professionals, dedicating some of our time.
What I did not know was that I would receive way more than I was giving.
It does not take long until we gather together and start to feel part of a joyful group. We learn about each other’s lives, we discuss interests. That sense of genuine connection I feel is very unusual, but warming.
After the briefing, I have a bit more information on what and why we do, and so we start. Everyone is there for each other, they all smile. We are all busy, but the kind of busy that makes you smile and laugh. We help each other, and at the end, the church is ready for our guests. Some flowers on the tables, simple but cheerful decorations all around, and so many seats. So many goody bags for our guests (homeless, elderly, lonely hearts) filled with a few items for them to grab on their way out. I need a minute now to process all this. I need a moment to understand how this could happen, how it is possible that in 2024 there are still so many to feed. Eventually I carry on, brush off the thoughts , and start to have fun with our friends, not sure what to expect next.
We gather together and we all pray and sing for peace, and I feel humbled by the day so far.
Now I start to think that one can be very busy and still make some time to help others! We can ignore the poor, yet here they are: so many people, each with their own story.
And as I come regularly, I start to learn some of the dynamics. For example, we have the table of the ladies who take this opportunity to catch up on their interests - including painting each others’ nails before the dinner! And that is when I thought “they have very little, but they share whatever they have with each other”. Their solidarity was impressive. I also learn that our guests are organised in groups, so every month, like any other group of friends, they have their own favourite place where to sit to spend a few hours together.
I meet a lot of people with their own personal difficulties, and I learn how to respect their boundaries: like with any other friends you cherish and respect them. All the volunteers, like busy bees, move around to provide food, drinks, entertainment, safety, and support. If any of our friends is in need of help, all of us gather together to try to resolve the matter to the best of our ability. A selfless act of kindness. In London. I’m blown away.
Guests have now gone, the church is cleaned up, and we gather for some food to share the experience. I leave the church, and one of the neighbours comments how tired but so smiley we look: it is true. I am tired, but I am so happy and I feel I got more than I gave on the day.
Not only I volunteered with my colleagues that time, but I continue to be part of this amazing group of people, and I soon consider them friends.
Mrs Claus is in town
Before you know it, it’s Christmas and I am in charge of the gifts for our amazing guests: literally Mrs Claus!
We organise weekly meetings to ensure each team has the support they need for their tasks. Each one of us is dedicated to giving our friends a fantastic experience. We all put a lot of effort to make the Christmas dinner special for our guests, we know that for some of them it might be the only occasion they have to celebrate Christmas.
I have very simple ground rules: I need to ensure each guest receives a beautiful present for Christmas - note to self : it might be the only present they receive! This motivated me to give my best to arrange and deliver a special Santa’s moment!
On the day, my team is extremely collaborative and festive - we have some amazing Christmas hats - and we all pull together to make it special: our Santa Claus had the best ho ho ho ever! Our little elves - some as young as 3 years old - are helping to distribute presents is a joy for all the guests. And all our teenager volunteers are so helpful trying to happily identify extra useful gifts for our lovely guests! It is an explosion of love and Christmas spirit. We had just under 200 guests this year and my heart was so full. And I know I will cherish these very moving and rewarding moments… until next time ❤️