My First Soup Run

It's getting wintry out there, the wind is cold and people are wrapping up warm. This time of year often focuses our minds on those less fortunate than ourselves which is wonderful. I read with interest a report by one of my company's VPs recently, she had spent a day sorting blankets for Crisis at Christmas. People feel compelled to do something for others at Christmas, whether this is Christ working through us or just someone doing something nice for someone else it's good to see. It also got me thinking about how I started working on the Soup Run and so I went back to look for this. I wrote it after my first Soup Run ten years ago. Unfortunately with the recession things have got worse for many people, we see 80-100 people now on the streets of Bristol, compared to 40-50 ten years ago. We also see a number of ladies regularly now and we only saw one regularly ten years ago.

If you are like I was before I went out on the soup run and you don't really know how to help someone you see begging or busking on the street, you could try this. Buy them a sandwich or Mars bar, when you give it to them ask how they are today, ask their name. This human contact is often more important than food, and it make you feel pretty good as well.

Any enough of my current waffle, here is my waffling from 10 years back.

My First Soup Run

After what had been an unusually warm few weeks in April, it was a cold and windy night.  I made sure I had a warm coat on, probably to warm, as I don’t normally feel the cold. For the first time I was to help with the soup run, we were to spend the evening giving soup and sandwiches to the homeless of Bristol.

After I was picked up we drove into the centre and set up at Pip n’ Jay’s, a church just off Castle Green. There were already a couple of gentlemen waiting for us so we welcomed them and started to sort the food out.  We had homemade soup, Vegetable, Leek & Potato, Celery and Potato and Carrot. We also had lots of sandwiches and rolls and for once no tuna, apparently Martin is famous for making tuna sandwiches. Desert comprised of wagon wheels and home made cakes, with a special Easter treat of cream eggs.

I guess I didn’t really know what to expect. I felt very honoured in being able to help, even serve, these people. It was a lot of fun running around pouring tea, coffee and soup.  The atmosphere was light hearted with a lot of banter and chat.  This was almost the first time I had been able to treat these homeless gentlemen as people. I pass them almost everyday and struggle to even say hello. I was so very pleased God had found a way of letting me obey my conscience. 

We had three sleeping bags that were very well appreciated, the four gentlemen who wanted them didn’t argue, they just worked it out between themselves. I have seen businessmen argue over much less. To my amazement one man pulled a large Easter egg from his bag and gave it to us asking if we could pass it on to any young kids we found on the street.

After almost an hour and when everyone hand had there fill we moved on to the next stop. I was feeling quite high, what we were doing felt right and I was enjoying myself. I almost had to remind myself I was doing this for them and for God not for myself. Jesus had told me to serve and I felt compelled to do so.

We pulled into a turnoff close to the river and St. Mary’s Redcliff. Again there were a couple of gentlemen waiting and we were quickly joined by several more. One old man had had all his things stolen, blanket, pension book, everything. He was hoping we might have a blanket for him but by this point we had none left. He also had nowhere to go that night, apart from next to a wall with a small fire for warmth. Without thinking Martin solved the problem, at least as well as he could, by taking off is own coat and putting it around the old man. You can see God in many things, never before have I seen Jesus at work so clearly; it was difficult not to weep. Before leaving there we made sure there was firewood and a couple of the other gentlemen stayed with him.

The evening left me feeling exhilarated yet deeply sadden. As I said to Martin it difficult to see how anyone has the strength to help with such a big problem yet it’s impossible not to want to help. It most certainly won’t be the last soup run I help with.