Bread & Baseball

We tell our daily group volunteers (our regular individuals know from experience) that a lunch conversation in the Dining Room with our guests is more often about topics such as weather, the menu, and sports than it is a deep exploration of “the meaning of life”. In fact, these accessible, everyday kinds of topics are often the very best means to revealing genuine connection between folks, “turning the tables” so to speak on preconceived notions of “them” and “us”.

Well, since last week, sports and the meaning of life are one in the same genre!!! We’re talkin’ GIANTS, sports fans!!!! For example, on Thurs, 10/7 when I went into the Dining Room to retrieve the high school group volunteers, I found them engaged in excited conversation with our guests at various tables in the room about – what? You guessed it!!! At one table, a guest was quizzing the students about their baseball knowledge: hands down, they scored with every answer! Our guest was impressed, saying with a big smile: “I think you all know more about this than me!!!” At another table, one of our guests had the marvelous fortune to be going to the evening game: the high school students were thrilled for him, and more than a little envious! And of course, GIANTS gear has been even more evident than usual across the board—among guests, volunteers, staff. . . all manner and style of t-shirts, hats, jewelry, are the wardrobe of this wonderful San Francisco moment.

So, what does this have to do with serving people in need? Everything—it is a beautiful, living example of the climate of dignity and respect that St. Anthony’s believes in and tries to embody. It’s the nourishing kind of menu that our founder—Fr. Alfred Boedekker intended: nourishment for the body and for the spirit—the spirit of belonging, of inclusive community.

We are being tested however, on our commitment to our Franciscan values during this Play Off Season! We remain dedicated to welcoming all who come to us—even it they, ahem, might be fans of the “other” team!!!

Go GIANTS!!!