Feeling right at home

A casual visitor who happened upon the parish kitchen yesterday may very well have been surprised to see so many people there.  What was going on?  This was the semi-monthly meeting of the street kids who have been coming to cook with us for the past (almost) two years.

This week, perhaps more than normal, there was an increased number of participants.  Part of the reason has to do with the people who are in leadership positions: the ones who invite (sometimes persuasively) the youth who gather at the neighbourhood drop-in to come spend some time with us.  Coerced or not, participants are learning that this venture is not about patronizing.  It's about helping them to be the best they can.

In this case, teenagers and young adults are invited to prepare a meal which is then shared with their friends.  The level of comfort that already exists between those who call the neighbourhood drop-in one of their hang outs is also being transferred to our kitchen, where the young people are getting more and more comfortable with others who are working with them in the kitchen.

The banter that flies back and forth causes some to cringe even while others are constantly appearing to test the limits.  What makes the coordinators more and more admired and appreciated is the fact that they don't play into the games.  Instead they gently allow participants to learn the lessons they need to learn, to share the stories they are comfortable to confide, and to grow at their own pace until they too can mentor others to reach for the stars.