By Father Ted

It is a fact of life that some days are harder than others. One day you might have a frustrating interaction with someone in line at the grocery store; maybe you weren’t able to check off as many tasks from your to-do list as you had hoped; maybe you got some difficult feedback at work. We all have days like that, and we all have ways to make ourselves feel better at the end of a lousy day. In our household, when one of us comes home after a rough day at work, the best way to get ourselves out of that funk is chili dogs: two grilled, all-beef franks, toasted buns, brown mustard, canned chili (no beans, because: Texas), and sharp cheddar cheese. Chili dogs don’t fix whatever the problem was that day, but they definitely help us to calm down and feel better.

On Wednesday, for the first time in over two years, a team from Transfiguration went down to Austin Street Center to serve dinner to the clients, workers, and volunteers at the shelter. Our parish has supported Austin Street for decades, and for as long as most of us can remember, we have taken a team down to the center, one Wednesday night a month, to serve chili dogs. But because of COVID-19, we had to push pause on group volunteer activities.

But now, we’re back. On Wednesday we served almost 250 people, which means we plated up almost 500 hot dogs. Clients move down the line and dress their dogs however they would like. Every volunteer has a station in the line, so everyone has a chance to serve and interact with each client. This is a wonderful ministry. It makes a difference in the lives of those who seek shelter at Austin Street and the lives of those who choose to serve. It’s our parish mission in action: to seek and serve Christ in all persons.

And it’s open to you.

Most of the time, we invite people to prayerfully consider whether or not they are called to join a certain ministry. We want folks to discern God’s call for their lives with their families and members of the parish. This is especially true for leadership positions and liturgical or pastoral ministries. After that period of discernment, one might choose to move forward with whatever training or initiation is required.

In my opinion, the opposite should be true for ministries like the Austin Street Center Ministry. I think you should just go. Let Judy Loveday-Corbett or Matt Harms know you’d like to help out one month. Show up at the church and ride down with the group. Help separate the hot dog buns; serve the mustard or relish. Greet the men and women who come through the line with a smile. Ask them how their day went. Be prepared to get a lot of “thank yous” because the clients are truly grateful, not only for the hot dogs, but that you have taken time out of your day to be there in person.

Once you’ve been, you can decide if it’s something you want to take on more regularly. It’s standard for people to go once a quarter, but some volunteers end up going more regularly. The shelter wants us to be down there at 5:00 pm, so even if you work full-time, there might be a way to make that work four times a year.

Circling back to the chili dogs (which is the real reason you clicked on the article): Eating a pair of delicious chili dogs after a rough day doesn’t really fix whatever went wrong. However, serving chili dogs to our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness actually does. It fixes what has gone wrong. It’s not the final solution, and it isn’t the full extent of Transfiguration’s mission to the homeless, but it makes a difference. Hunger should not exist in this country; we have the means to end it. The first step toward ending hunger is to feed people. It makes a difference to those who receive the food and those who give it.

I hope you will sign up to be a part of this life-changing ministry.

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