WARNING: LONG POST!!
Since I will be starting the first rotation of my internship in 10 days and I will be in Seattle next week, today was the day I promised myself I would have all my homework done. I wanted to have as much done before I started as possible, to try and alleviate some of the stress and workload. My first rotation is at WIC, or Women Infants and Children. Since this is a community nutrition/public health rotation, one of my assignments was to seek out a facility in my community that has something to do with nutrition or food. I figured a food bank would be a great place to start! I called and reserved a spot in a group of volunteers working this morning from 8-12, sorting a new food shipment. So I got there and when I asked for the woman who I spoke with on the phone, the forklift driver, told me that she wasn't there and the volunteering group had been canceled. Good thing I didn't know that. Anyways, luckily another woman who worked there said that I could just jump on in with her group. I was eager to do so, since this was my last opportunity to complete my assignment before my trip and my rotation.
Here's what I didn't know. The group was 15 men, who were all doing court ordered community service for various crimes committed. They were all pretty scary looking. Doing my best to be polite and not judge, I tried to be positive and happy. However, I was pretty irritated by the time the 6th person asked me:"So, what did you do to get this sentence?" I didn't think that "I just like serving my community" would be a appropriate response. I didn't know how to tell them that I was just a good citizen, without any arrests and DUI's. (Warning: Upcoming profanity, but I think it really adds to the mood of the story) Next I was trying to mind my own business and make food bags for food bank patrons. After stepping off the line for a minute to throw something away, the guy next to me (who had been looking at me suspiciously all morning, says, "Where the hell did you go? I missed you" (Said all slow and creepy of course). Seriously? It took all I could to not burst into tears. Oh and did I mention that the food bank warehouse didn't have air conditioning? And that I live in Arizona, where it is above 100 by 10 am? Also, the lady in charge kept yelling at the group (including me, even though she knew that I was a SEPARATE volunteer). She was not very friendly and I felt like a criminal, by the way I was being treated. Oh and of course let's not forget the man who lectured me the whole time about how the government is taking over, something about Obama, and his anger at the closing of the post office locations.
I will just say that my morning of doing community service turned into something much different than I expected. It might be a while before I brave the food bank again. At least we know it won't ever be for court-ordered reasons :)
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