It was our usual Pay It Forward Wednesday at the Mustard Seed in Calgary this morning. For the past, almost three years, our team has been getting up at the crack of dawn to head down to the shelter to cook and serve breakfast to sometimes more than 400 Calgarians in need.
We love Pay It Forward Wednesdays. We come together as a team to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate who are doing everything in their power to escape the situation they're in. Many of the Mustard Seed's guests are plagued with mental health and addiction problems however all of them choose to make the most of every day and fight to make a change. Needless to say, Wednesday mornings have become a cherished ritual among the Chatterson Drive team. What began with just me, has evolved into a true family affair with the entire team 'choosing' to Pay it Forward each and every Wednesday morning.
This particular day was no different than any other Wednesday at the Seed. We arrived just before 6am to our normal warm welcome from the shelter's dedicated kitchen staff. We like to think they are quite happy to see us each week as early morning volunteering seems to be a rarity in our city. We start with a quick huddle to determine who's doing what and, off we go. One of us takes bread / toast duties, another goes onto preparing individual cups of butter, jam, ketchup and peanut butter. On the other side of the kitchen, Allan is hard at work preparing the hash browns and getting them in the oven while two other members of the team are getting the cutlery, plates and serving windows prepared. I've become the default egg master; cooking + preparing more than 800 eggs to accompany the morning's other fix in's. Needless to say, a great team working hard, smiling, laughing and doing something meaningful makes for a great start to the morning.
After breakfast was prepared and the serving window opened, I went into the meal hall to mark meal tickets--each guest is able to have a 1st and 2nd portion. The lines of people are are often 50-75 people deep and remain that way the entire 45 minutes the serving windows are open. Many of the Mustard Seed's guests count on a hardy breakfast to get them through a long day. As I stood at the front of the line, marking tickets, I noticed an elderly gentleman out of the corner of my eye sitting alone at one of the long banquet tables. He didn't look familiar and after three years coming to the Seed every Wednesday, we tend to recognize our guests.
White hair, glasses and a thick white beard. I noticed not only was he sitting all alone but he didn't have a plate of breakfast. As the line of guests subsided, I decided to go over to ask if he was alright and to see if he was hungry. The gentleman replied, "I'd love to eat breakfast however I'm not able to stand in line and get a plate." As he began to explain, he raised his hands to show me his severe shakes. He had Parkinsons' Disease and was unable to do much with his hands---including being able to carry a plate of food without dropping it. I asked him if he'd like to eat and he graciously replied, "I'd very much appreciate that." Within a moment or two he was enjoying the wonderful meal my team had prepared. I went back to my post to continue to mark meal tickets for guests.
It was almost 8am and our team's time at the shelter for this week was wrapping up. As I marked the last meal ticket, I looked over at the gentleman and, to no surprise, he had finished his meal. I ran over, asked him if he was still hungry and with a big smile he said, "that would be wonderful, I'd really appreciate that." As I brought over his second plate of breakfast, I decided to sit down and ask the gentleman his name. He told me his name was Bruce. I asked him how he got here and so my journey with Bruce began.
Bruce is 70 years old. Never been married. Never had children. He completed his PhD at the University of Calgary, served as a Principal at a local public school and was a professor for many years at the University as well. He was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder, Parkinson's Disease and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the middle of his successful career. It ruined him and brought on terrible bouts of depression, anxiety and eventual heart disease. Time wasn't on Bruce's side. No job, severe mental and physical issues and no family to provide support --Bruce was left with few choices. He has spent the previous three years moving from shelter to shelter and somehow grew accustomed to sleeping on a 2" thick mat on the floor with nothing more than his jacket for a blanket. He told me how grateful he was for the great, friendly and supportive staff at the Mustard Seed and the place where he spends his days, Potential Place. I was shocked by his story but moreover, inspired by his courage, positive attitude and determination to make a change for the better. My eyes began to tear up and my heart started to pound. Work could wait; Bruce could use a helping hand today.
I asked the management staff at the shelter if they would allow me to take Bruce for the morning. They enthusiastically obliged and soon thereafter, we were on our way. Bruce shared stories of his childhood, his teenage years and his years as a school Principal and University Professor. He was very proud to be a born and raised Calgarian and during his darkest hours, he was still proud to be living in this great city. Despite his many hardships in life, Bruce was just happy to be alive. I asked Bruce if there was somewhere he wanted to go or something he needed to pickup. I thought I could be his personal chauffeur for the day. He told me he had his clothes stolen the day before and what he was wearing was all he had left. That made it easy --our first stop was Wal Mart. We picked out some nice shirts, pants, socks and a belt and decided to replace his garbage bag of stuff with an actual duffle bag. He was excited to have some new clothes to wear. From there, we proceeded to the pharmacy where Bruce got the prescription he hadn't been able to pickup for more than two weeks --a prescription that helps him sleep at night and maintain his balance when he walks. After Wal Mart, he took me to the place where he spends his days; a day home called, Potential Place. He toured me through the home and introduced me to everyone he knew as "his angel that rescued him." I clenched my jaw and fought the tear that dripped down my cheek.This was heat-wrenching.
I helped Bruce sort through his new clothes, gave him a firm handshake, my cell phone number and a promise to follow up with him soon. Bruce gave me much, much more. Little did he know, he touched my heart in more ways than words will ever be able to explain. He inspired me. He served as an eye-opening reminder of how precious life is and how the smallest actions we take can make an incredible impact in the lives of others. There are thousands of other wonderful, talented, intelligent and kind homeless people in our city just like Bruce. They too have an ability to inspire others and contribute positively to our great city.
Bruce, like so many, have so much to share and give. All it takes is for one of us to take the time to slow down, stop and listen to their story.
We take our lives for granted. We don't spend enough time reflecting on how truly lucky we are. This life is a gift and a blessing and it's up to all of us to determine what we are going to do with each moment. The staff at the Mustard Seed, Inn from the Cold, Potential Place and all the other shelters in this city have focused their attention on an issue many of of us have become accustomed to ignoring. Homelessness is a real issue in Calgary and its up to us to do something about or turn a blind eye --the choice is our own. Today, Bruce made a serious impact on my life. After this incredible, unexpected morning I just had, I encourage all of you to go outside and seek out your very own Bruce.
Make it a great week. Pay It Forward.
Jason
#passiondrivessuccess
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