Kindness Opportunity #8 - Serving Meals at the Opportunity Center

January, 2016

RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #10:
Once-a-month, #MergeMemphis serves Saturday morning breakfast to the residents of the Memphis Union Mission Opportunity Center.  On a certain Saturday last month, I was priviledged to join them in this service.  We made breakfast burritos, sticky buns, fruit, juice, and more!  Once we're finished serving the breakfast, we get to sit down and break bread with the residents of the center.  What an incredible group of people!

In addition to opening their doors to the at night when its cold so the homeless have a safe/warm place to sleep, the Opportunity Center, located at 600 Poplar Avenue, focusing on helping men overcome various addictions.  The men are offered free room / board while they are going through the treatment program (which Memphis Union Mission pays them to do).  After the men have been in the treatment program for 2 years and have continually proven to be drug / alcohol free (through random testing), they are allowed to take up residence in the Opportunity Center, where they are taught valuable job skills.  

During this visit, I sat and ate with a man named Fred (Fred is in the bottom right posing with me in the above picture collage).  Fred has had a hard life.  Currently in his late 40's, Fred has struggled with addiction since he was a pre-teen.  Somehow, he ended up in the Memphis Union Mission's treatment program and he has been clean now for many years.  He now works as an RA at the Opportunity Center to help other men who are struggling with some of the same addictions that Fred says God helped him to overcome.  

I could have talked to Fred for hours.  Alas, it was time for us volunteers to clean up and head out.  

If you're interested in volunteering with Merge Memphis to feed breakfast to the men of the opportunity center, click here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/people/Merge-Memphis/100008136078846


RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #13:
Was blessed to serve breakfast again to the men of the Memphis Union Mission Opportunity Center.  My mom even came along this time!  We were able to meet some new and wonderful like-minded volunteers as we served some very thankful men tasty biscuits and gravy!  

Thank you #MergeMemphis for providing us this opportunity to give back to our community!