Service Learning Log 3 - Katie Engquist

Date of shift: May 1, 2008
Hours worked: 5 hours

Last Thursday night, Jessica and I volunteered as ambassadors for Dining Out for Life. What an incredible experience. We arrived at our restaurant, Shells and Sauce, just after 5:00 pm. Upon first entering the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the bartender, Jeremy. We proceeded to meet the owner and the entirely male wait staff, all who were very friendly and seemed pleased to see us. With Jeremy’s permission, we set our supply bag in a corner behind the bar and pulled out a stack of donation envelopes. We were ready to go and anxiously awaiting the night’s first customers.

As we waited, we sat at the bar talking to Jeremy. He quickly ordered food and insisted that we eat. His gesture was greatly appreciated, as we had not eaten yet that night, and the chicken and angel hair pasta were delicious.

Soon, the first two tables of the night came into the restaurant. One was an older couple and the other was a group of four, apparently two young couples. Jessica and I each took a table, ready to give the speech that we had learned at our orientation session and rehearsed in the car on the way to the restaurant. As I approached the table of four, I immediately realized how different it is to rehearse a speech with a friend and to actually give it to a stranger. My nerves got the best of me at this first table as I fumbled with information and statistics. I left the table feeling shaken and uncomfortable.

This tension quickly dissipated throughout the evening, and my speech began to feel more and more natural as the night progressed.

“Hi, how are you tonight? My name is Katie and I am a volunteer with Project Angel Heart. Are you aware that tonight is Dining Out for Life night?”

Throughout the night, I was shocked by the number of people that answered this question with, “Yes, we are. That’s why we’re here!” I was blown away by the attitudes and actions of these people. Prior to this WRIT 1133 class, I was unaware of the existence of Project Angel Heart, let alone what this organization did. Here, in one little hole in the wall restaurant north of Cherry Creek, I witnessed numerous people making the effort to dine out in order to support this great cause. On several occasions, the people at the table thanked me for my time and work with Project Angel Heart. While I felt unworthy of such accreditation, I also felt a sense of pride in my association with Project Angel Heart. I began to realize how many lives this organization truly touches.

Many people came to the restaurant because they knew it was Dining Out for Life night. Many told me that they come every year. Still others, when asked if they were aware of Dining Out for Life night, looked at a watch or cell phone and asked, “Oh, is that tonight? I totally forgot!” These people, too, were familiar with the organization and appeared pleased to be reminded of the night. It was by far the minority that was unfamiliar with Project Angel Heart and the work of the organization. To these people, I presented a brief background on the work done by Angel Heart, followed by an explanation about Dining Out for Life night. On this night, once a year, 330 restaurants across Denver and Colorado Springs donated 25% of all food sales directly to Project Angel Heart. Personal donations were collected as well, and all diners were invited to enter a drawing for a 1000-dollar VISA gift card donated by TCF bank. In this one day, through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Project Angel Heart hoped to collect a quarter of their annual budget, a total of about 450,000 dollars.

One table that I approached especially touched me. When I asked an older couple if they were aware of Dining Out for Life night, the woman held up a finger. “Let me show you something,” she said, as she reached for her wallet. She pulled out a business card revealing that she was a Hospice nurse. “This is why we are here,” she said softly. “I know Project Angel Heart. And my patients are so appreciative of all that you do. Thank you so much.” This encounter gave me chills, as my eyes were opened further still to the number of lives touched, whether directly or indirectly, by this incredible organization.

At the orientation session that we attended, Jessica and I were told to wait to pick up the donation envelopes until the table had left. This was intended to keep us from looking presumptuous or rude. Several people, however, approached us with their envelopes, smiling and thanking us for our work. What a humbling sensation, to be receiving such gratitude for something in which my own role was so minor.

This experience contributed to my own personal growth as well as to my civic growth. Having worked in the Angel Heart kitchen as well as having delivered the meals, I found it fascinating and rewarding to serve Angel Heart through a more administrative position. I was amazed by the scope of this organization and the number of lives that it touches, and I was honored to be a small part of such a worthy process.

On a personal level, I recognized that I truly can make a difference. At the orientation session, Jessica and I were told that a restaurant without ambassadors was expected to collect about 100 dollars in donations, while a restaurant with ambassadors brought in an average of 800 dollars. Such a significant difference, made simply by being present. For me, this meant being fully present, engaged in my surroundings, and attentive to those around me. This is an important lesson in life. One must always make the effort to be present, wherever this may be. So much of life is missed, passed by in a hurry to get somewhere else. What a terrible shame this is. Hundreds of people across Denver and Colorado Springs made the conscious effort to dine out in order to support a worthy cause, to be present in a time of need. I made the effort to be an ambassador on this night, and in so doing, I was able to witness and take part in many meaningful encounters. I am so grateful to have had this experience.

On a civic level, it takes people at all levels of involvement to make an event like Dining Out for Life happen. It takes the restaurants, their owners, and their staff. It takes the diners coming to eat. It takes ambassadors raising awareness of the event. And it takes hours upon hours of behind the scenes administrative work by Project Angel Heart staff and volunteers. Each part is important and each part is necessary. Although an individual role may seem small and insignificant at times, each individual role contributes to a much larger picture than one could ever create alone. We must all do our small part, whatever that may be, in order to achieve a greater good.