Theological Reflection Paper: Caring For The Poor

In January of 2018, I had the privilege of visiting the St. Francis in to provide meals to less fortunate individuals and families. The St. Francis Inn is located in Kensington, roughly a 35-minute drive from Neumann. Their mission is to serve the poor and homeless by providing food, clothing, and hospitality, however, their ultimate goal is to help empower individuals to recognize the structural injustices that are not only evident within the city of Philadelphia, but also worldwide, and work towards breaking the cycle of poverty. I learned about the St. Francis Inn and their mission during my time here at Neumann and I felt extremely lucky to have the opportunity to visit and serve twice. I can honestly say that serving at the St. Francis Inn made me appreciate the position I am in.

Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that I tend to take for granted, not realizing that there are people who just want to be able to enjoy something as simple as a hot meal. Not only did the people I served benefit from being provided a hot meal and various personal hygienic products, but I too benefited from this experience in the sense that it broadened my knowledge of the poverty epidemic that surrounds us as well as gave light to an important value I should always strive toward achieving: caring for the less fortunate. If you come from a Catholic or Franciscan background, then you are aware that serving and caring for the less fortunate is a principle value you must learn to live by. We are taught that every human has the same worth and dignity and we must not belittle other people and their experiences based solely on their circumstances. In my opinion, this is not a hard concept to grasp, and the staff at the St. Francis Inn did a wonderful job of emphasizing this core value.

For example, because the staff gave me the opportunity to be a table server, I got to meet and interact with so many people that came from different backgrounds, cultures, and demographics. However, the common denominator was that they were all struggling in some way and wanted the opportunity to enjoy a hot meal. It really showed me that no matter how different our backgrounds are, there are certain things we all want that are important to us. Another example of caring for the poor that was emphasized at the Inn was how friendly and welcoming the environment was, which made the experience even better. I think it’s important to create this kind of judgment free and selfless environment in order for the people coming to feel safe, welcomed and valued. Many of these people don’t get to experience that every day, most of the time due to circumstances out of their control, so it is important to make them enjoy and look forward to their visits. I learned so much about myself through my time serving at the Inn. God wants us to live in the image and likeness of himself. Serving the less fortunate is a prime example of being selfless and putting others needs before yours. That is something, in the catholic tradition, that God has made clear we should focus on.

So, through serving at the Inn, I was able to live out one of God’s most important values and understand what it means to be selfless. I can honestly say that serving at the St. Francis Inn made me appreciate the position I am in, and the life that I get to live. This has encouraged me to keep serving my community and provide for those who don’t have the opportunities I have because it is truly what they deserve. God created humans to all have the same dignity and worth, and it is important to treat others with the respect that you would want in return because no one person deserves more than another. I believe that my time serving at the St. Francis Inn was God’s way of communicating this value. I also believe that it was his way of helping me realize the effect my service has on others and what it can lead to. My entire experience at the St. Francis Inn was incredible and I am beyond grateful that I got the chance to serve. By doing a service like this, it inspires you to give back more. It has given me an insight on the type of servant leader that I will strive to be in the future.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was to appreciate what I have. Seeing what those people go through and how appreciative they are to receive a hot meal was very inspiring. Communication skills are another thing that I took away from my time serving. Communication is important, not only in general but specifically for myself as a business major. Being a server, I had to interact with the people coming in and make sure they were all properly helped. It was my job to make their experience great. I practiced listening to what they wanted, friendliness while greeting them, confidence, and respect. Servant leadership is important in the Catholic tradition as well. I am looking forward to my future as a leader and adopting the characteristics to which I was exposed to at the St. Francis Inn. From the people I met, the classmates I served with, and the staff I had the privilege of meeting, I would not change anything about the amazing experience I had.