A lot of recipients also knew each other and shared their tables, talking while they ate. What struck me was that nobody was in any particular rush to finish eating, although the line outside was still long and the kitchen was filling up fast. As soon as someone got up, a new person took his or her place. When we were ready to sit down, I couldn't find an empty seat anywhere. Suddenly, a deep voice behind us said "Hey, you're new, come and sit with us." The owner of the voice was a tall black man in a tan trench coat. His smile was big and friendly. A small old Indian woman shared the table with him. She eyed us a little warily, but didn't make any objection when we sat down. The black man's name was Tom and the woman was called Areena. As we sat down and started eating, I was once again surprised. The soup was rich and delicious and the rolls and sandwiches were made with clear effort behind it. Tom smiled at us as he ate and started asking questions about where we came from, what our names were, and so on. We had a background story ready about the circumstances that necessitated our use of the soup kitchen. Tom seemed genuinely interested, and even Areena began to look like she was listening now and again.

We asked Tom some questions as well, and he revealed that he grew up in difficult circumstances. His mother was forced to raise him and three brothers by herself while also working to make ends meet. His big dream was to be in a...

Towards the end of the meal, Tom and Areena were both sharing their stories and the plans they had for the rest of the day. Areena was also part of a large family when she grew up, and also came from a poor household. When she married, things were a little better, but her husband died, leaving her with a large amount of debts. This thrust her back into poverty. Nevertheless, she smiled as she shared with us how the soup kitchen meal was the favorite time of her day, not only for the meal, but also for the friendships she had made.
When we left, we felt that we had made two genuine friends. In general, I was struck by the wide diversity of people who made use of the soup kitchen service. Some were black, others white, others Hispanic, with every other diversity a person could think of. The serving staff was also friendly and jovial, serving everybody with a smile and a friendly "enjoy your meal." I could understand why Tom, Areena, and the other patrons felt that the soup kitchen had become a kind of home for them. They came here to escape the harsh reality of their world for a few minutes, and were rewarded with friendships that lasted a lifetime. We found ourselves truly inspired by the spirit in the soup kitchen, and the way in which such a wide diversity of people could truly connect over a simple bowl of soup.