Food for the Soul

Finding myself with some extra free time during my downtime between med school and residency, I was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would leave me feeling soul-filled.  I remembered a pretty awesome organization that does amazing work in the Saginaw community, First Ward Community Center.  First Ward is a support/advocacy network, providing services for children, adults, and seniors.  

The east side of the Saginaw River, where First Ward is located, is generally the part of the city most fraught with poverty, crime, abandoned homes, etc.  For some people, it's a no-man's-land, a forgotten sector where few outsiders dare to traverse.  If only they knew the richness of community and the incredible potential hidden within...

One of the youth performances at First Ward

Corinne, a longtime employee and proponent of First Ward's mission of empowerment for some of Saginaw's most vulnerable community members, took me on a tour of the myriad of services that the organization offers.  They offer afterschool programming, nutritious meals, senior programming, recreation, a weekly food distribution program, and support groups for families.

Corinne showing off some crafts she made with the youth

I learned a lot about the history of First Ward, not only through my orientation with Corinne but also just talking to volunteers who have been working with the center for years.  First Ward has been around for over 80 years, so they've got to be doing something right.  They provide a much needed, stable, safe space where people can find community, resources, and for some, just a little respite from their otherwise chaotic lives.  It gave me a lot of perspective on important elements of a long-running non-profit center, which will prove useful as I will likely be working in and/or creating an interdisciplinary medical home for patients in the future.  More on that later.  

I got some great insight from the main chef in the kitchen, Steve, who shared his point of view on his community work via cooking.  He said, “I like cooking, and I like people.  Those things kinda go together anyway, don’t you think?”  Sounded good to me!  On my first day I jumped right in, slapping together the cornbread patties while he stirred his northern bean stew, put the finishing touches on the potato salad and sampled the ham and collard greens to make sure they were just right.

Gospel music filtered through the air, Steve struck up conversation with some of the regulars who began to trickle in, cha cha relish was scooped onto trays of food for a little extra flair, and there were smiles all around as community members partook in this soul food extravaganza.  Just a typical Wednesday at First Ward soup kitchen.

My buddy, Steve, helping me find my way around the kitchen!

It was clear that being able to serve the hungry with his amazing cooking was a natural fit for him, and it was so wonderful to see him throw himself into that work.  It made me realize that grassroots efforts of helping to meet basic needs like nutrition are just as important as strategic approaches to reducing poverty on a larger scale.    

By the way, I fell in love with Steve's cooking and the heart & soul he puts into his food, so I asked him if he would cater my graduation party, and he said yes!  It was a huge success and everyone loved Steve's special, from-the-heart soul food.  :)

Happy faces after a successful grad party!

First Ward's mission to care for at-risk people of all ages through community effort is truly inspiring.  It is no one person’s responsibility but truly a priority for the whole neighborhood to promote the welfare of its citizens.