Project Open Hand Provides \"Meals

Project Open Hand provides "meals with love" to seniors and individuals with terminal illnesses. I have been volunteering for Project Open Hand for the past five months, and in that period have come to understand much about how charitable organizations work and carry out their missions each day. One specific experience opened my eyes to the importance of solidarity in providing social services to people in need. I witnessed an argument between two colleagues, one a voluneer and the other from the administrative staff. The individual from the administrative staff did not seem emotionally engaged in her work. She was participating in Project Open Hand as a professional obligation, and her approach to work contrasted sharply with that of my fellow volunteer. The volunteer seemed put off by the administrator's seemingly callous position on an issue. Therefore, I learned quick during my volunteer work how Project Open Hand and other charitable organizations depend on both the sweat of volunteers and the pragmatism of the private sector. If it were not for the administrative staff, Project Open Hand might not be able to provide its services to those in need.

Project Open Hand was started by one individual, Ruth Brinker, who personally watched a friend die of HIV / AIDS ("Founder"). Brinker had some experience with local food programs, but Project Open Hand began as a humble idea. My encounters with the organizational staff at Project Open House proves that social service programs are labors of love more than they are corporate or government enterprises. Project Open Hand proves that both the public and private sectors can solidify resources that create opportunities for effective social service programs.

I was surprised by the revelation that a single individual -- a senior herself -- had started Project Open Hand. The founder's story is more romantic than the current Project Open Hand, but the mission statement remains the same. Individuals suffering from terminal illnesses, those who are homebound, and seniors over the age of 60 all qualify for Project Open Hand services. Services center on nutritious meals. The recipients of Project Open Hand services vary considerably. Many volunteers like me expect that the recipients of the service will be down-and-out but in fact many were well-educated and had at one time held white collar positions. Illness takes its toll not just on the body but also on the bank account. Some of the recipients had lost support from friends and family and therefore depended on Project Open Hand and other organizations for the charitable contributions. I was particularly impressed by the diversity of age, ethnicity, and socio-economic class background that comprised the number of Project Open Hand care recipients I met.