[Community-service] An Event and suggestions

[Ashley Bramlett]

Hi Cindy,

First, its great you tried it and went out of your comfort zone.
Second, due to our disability, unfortunately we are mistaken for the people needing help rather than the helping group. While I have not had that issue in a meal situation, I have experienced this with other events.

Third, as to the question, it’s a good one.
I think its an excellent thing to discuss and something very relevant and hopefully will have some traffic on this low traffic list.

I would not wear laytex because some people can be alergic  to it.
I have had the same problems. I’m not comfortable serving certain foods out such as what you had: the spaghetti and meat sauce and salad.
I’ve just served what I’m comfortable with. I served many times at a DC shelter with my church group growing up.

Oh, and even though I have some vision, I’ve not found work arounds greeting people either. If I could do it, I’d be able to work many more events and even be a theater usher.
With tunnel vision, I cannot see them till they are rather close to me, and often its too late then.

For serving food, what I’ve done is serve something I can touch with my hands or something thick I can scoop up.
I wear gloves of course. I’ve been fortunate I’ve never had to butter bread. I think the clients being served butter their  own bread.
I’ve served bread, fruit, and cut up desserts such as cookies and brownies.

I’ve also served items you scoop up with a spoon such as casseroles and vegetables.
It’s a little awkward serving food with plastic on your hands, true.
I guess it just takes practice.
Make sure the gloves fit well and are not baggy. I found that most gloves are thin enough you can feel through them quite easily; like you can still feel textures and temperature of items.
Why was buttering bread difficult? I don’t know how you did it, but from the bread you described, I’m assuming its pieces of bread, not rolls you buttered.
Assuming its pieces of italian bread, you simply spread it on in a pattern.
Do you do it in a pattern?
If you cannot see how much butter you have on the knife,  touch it before buttering. I can see that part.
Was the bread toasted? If so, I find it easier to spread butter or anything on toasted pieces because its harder surface and sometimes I tend to mash into the soft bread as I spread, but if its toasted that is not an issue.
I can also hear my knife scraping and sliding across the toast.
If it was just bread, I’d feel the bread with the knife to ensure it was all spread on.
Now, I’ve not buttered bread or toast with gloves on, but I’d use the same technique with or without gloves.

Hopefully, someone will have techniques for greeting people!
I’m sure next time will go better. You have to develop techniques as you go along.
Ashley
From: Cindy Ray via Community-service 
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 9:54 PM
To: 'Community Service Discussion List' 
Subject: [Community-service] An Event and suggestions

I have avoided doing this event before because I don’t feel comfortable working with food with those plastic bags with fingers in them on my hands. However, I decided that it was important for me to give it a shot. First, my church does the activity every month now and my Rotary Club does it every two months. So I decided to join with my Rotary in doing the event. It is called CFUM Supper Club (Children and Family Urban Movement) and serves those who are in need. Their income isn’t quite enough, they don’t have jobs, etc. So I went.

First I buttered bread. It was difficult with the little bags on my fingers. (I suppose I should call them gloves.) I didn’t do badly with it, but they weren’t having anything I’d feel comfortable serving. The menu was spaghetti and meat sauce, salad and dressing, (you have to apply the dressing for them), Italian bread and butter, which I could actually serve, drinks, and a variety of desserts. They invited me to greet folks and to say the evening prayer. 

I didn’t mind doing this, so I did, but it didn’t go well. It was so  noisy that I couldn’t always be certain people were close enough to greet, and they were often visiting with one another. Also, many of them thought I was in line or offered to help me with a tray. I did try to find another place to stand that would imply I was not in the line.

Now, my main question is this: Has anyone ever used these gloves, and do you know if it is, in general, OK to switch them for Laytex gloves? Do those gloves work better?

Thanks. Clearly this won’t be an event I would want to put on the blog to inspire 75 days of service. LOL.

Cindy Lou Ray

 



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