Service Learning Research

They obtain food from banks of food for free or at low costs because of the consideration that they engage in charitable services to people. This research paper seeks to carry out an exploration of the services and sociological perspective and activities that are offered in one case study concerning a soup kitchen. Background This research was carried out at the New London Community Meal Centre. The soup kitchen is located at 12 Montaunk Ave. New London, Ct 06320. The area is most times congested with people and is always safe for anyone who passes by. Pick-picketers are rare, it's clean and people here seem to understand what being human exactly means. Important to note is that, if you go sit somewhere and watch the way things work around, you will notice, just as this research found out, people, out of their good will, collecting any dropped litter and putting it to bins that are installed along the street.

Waiters are volunteers who task themselves with the duties involved in the operation of the soup kitchen and so are the people who prepare the foods. This research was performed on a Tuesday, May 1, 2018, between11 am and 6 pm but for five hours which were not continuous. As I participated in these activities, I could clearly notice how it must have taken the people a sense of compassion to participate in all the work, for free and with an openness of heart. Everyone seemed happy doing anything assigned to them, without questions. This suggested that there is a great need in caring for those who are vulnerable in the society, and how they should be respected and their dignity upheld so that they can feel that they are still human, and consequently part of the society subject to fair treatment and recognition in all spheres of life.

As people were queuing for the food, they would be entertained with gospel music which seemed to soothe and relieve them of psychological problems they might have been facing. There were at least four people serving in every chamber of the hall, which took thirty to forty-five minutes. The manager, a decently dressed middle-aged gentleman, would lecture about the importance of sanitation, love to neighbors, respect of oneself and others and God's existence in the lives of all the people He created, whether poor or rich. As such, I got the reason as to why unlike many other towns, this area was inhabited by so many people yet remained clean and people here had a much sense of neighborhood. Thereon, after the talk that lasted for approximately thirty minutes, all the people left at their own pleasure.

The volunteers were left behind for the next course of action. There was a break of one hour to the volunteers and during this time, the research notes were taken and any clarifications were inquired from whoever could help. At around five o'clock, people started streaming in for dinner. Having one hour left for the research, I volunteered to do the sitting arrangement and sat the old folk down at their respective tables. I then sat somewhere strategic and used the rest of the hour observing. As I continued sitting and observing, certain things were reasserting themselves in my mind; social treatment and relationships among people. It was quite clear that this particular church, having been the founder of the soup kitchen, was acting responsibly in building social relationships especially with the less fortunate in the society.