First Time at Glide

This was my first time bussing tables at Glide. It was a truly gratifying experience serving people who need food. There is a rhythm to it waiting tables, wipe down the table, snatch garbage as you walk to fill coffee jugs, or taking a tray to be cleaned. After a while you can move so fast in between crowded tables, automatically calling people ma'am or sir. You can smell so many different and new things, and see dogs and colourful mismatched clothing. I felt so energized, and we got there at 6:45!

I can't wait to go back.

~Isobel Obrecht

Why We Serve!

I am choosing to serve at glide because I know that some people don't have what I have and I want to help those people as much as I can. I have served at glide before, so I sort of generally know what happens, but I might experience something unexpected. I will contribute to our success by listening to the rules and following them as best as I can, and doing what they need me to do, not what I want to do.

~ Daniella

Why I serve!

I know that other people in the world are not as lucky for. I know that some people can't eat everyday. I know that some people don't have a home.
I serve because I feel that because I am more fortunate than those people, that I am responsible to help them. And I want to help them

I expect Glide to be intense but also meaningful to me. I can tell that I will remember tomorrow for ever.

I am going to contribute to the success of the end of the day by doing exactly what I am supposed to do, and give it my all.

~ Ella

I choose to serve because I think it will be exciting and it will feel good to

help people who aren't as lucky as I am.

I expect it to be busy with hungry people eating and serving food.

I am going to contribute at the end of the day by doing what I am told and

working the best that I can

~ Paulina

I choose to server the people at Glide because I know the there are people that don't have a home, don't get that everyday support, they don't get the kind meals and kindness we get everyday. I feel that those people deserve to get the food and nurture as much as we do. And they may not get the love and support in life like we do.

~ Stella

I serve because I know how fortunate I am. I want to help people who are less fortunate. I hope I can make the world a more fair place. I want to help people. Even if it only for a day or a couple hours. I hope I can make someone happier. I expect the people at Glide to be very grateful. I have been there once before and everyone was very thankful and appreciative. I expect o be doing he same thing for hours. But the hours go by really fast.

I am going to listen to directions and cooperate. I am going o try to encourage and support people.

~ Chiara

We serve to help the people that are less fortunate, and the people that can't afford the food.

I expect serving at glide will be a new experience for all of us. I think it will be different, like the people I think will be different. I think it will be fun to serve there, to try something new. 

I choose to serve because I would really like to help the people that are less fortunate. When you really think about it, we very fortunate and have lodes of stuff and food, and these people don't have very much. I want to help end hunger, and help people. I'm going to contribute by serving and trying my best to help people in need.

~ Pilar

I think that serving will make me feel good. I will contribute to the community of the Tenderloin by working my hardest. I serve because I want to help people who are less fortunate then myself. I feel that I am obliged to the human race to help people who need it most.   

~ Joe

PHS Middle School Students Serve Breakfast

At Glide, you feel like a better person. You feel like you helped
somebody who really needs your help. At Glide, it sounded like lots trays clanging
and people yelling. It smelled like food and dirt. I saw people who looked like they
might be homeless, and also people who looked like they just couldn't afford
breakfast. I had a great time at glide and I hope to go again this year.

~ Ella

At Glide, my job was to re-fill milk and coffee containers, wipe off the tables and take the trays away when the people were done eating. My experience at Glide was very fun. In the cafeteria there were lots of people.  Most of the people there were friendly. The smell at glide was not good. I felt good because I knew that I was helping and taking care of people by serving them food. I herd people yelling and having conversations.

~ Liberty

I dabbed tables. A lot. I saw people that were hungry. Some of them would come back over and over and hide the food in their bag for later. I heard people talking loudly. It smelled faintly like fish... well, not so faintly actually. I felt good for helping people who don't have as much as me.

~ Daniella

At Glide I bussed tables, cleaned tables, got or milk or coffee also tried to help people. I saw people eating people talking and people sitting and other people helping. I heard, "Hot Coffee!" and conversing of people. I smelled interesting food. I felt good to be helping and I thought I was doing good!

~ Petal

At Glide, my job was to push trays through the lines and the next person would give it to the people or customers. We were in a big  cafeteria. After a long time, the cafeteria was packed. I noticed that most of the poor people were African American. Lists of the poor people would talk to each other and tell stories to themselves. Lost of the people thanked us for volunteering. It smelled kind of funny, a little fishy but I got used to it after a while. After all, it was a fun experience.

~ NIna

03/01/12 Reflections on our morning of service at Glide

Glide was an amazing experience. I met a Chinese lady who told very good story's.
I liked severing food to people and making a difference.

~ Jonah

Last Thursday we went to Glide It was very fun I served and waited tables I felt good helping people less fortunate then myself one of my favorite moments when I said have a nice day people and they thanked me. It made me feel like the people I was helping really wanted help.

~ Joe

At Glide I put boiled eggs on trays in an assemble line. I did enjoy it because I did it with my friend. Another reason why I enjoyed it was because I felt good after wards. I was giving food to people who don't have any. One special moment was when they were passing down the trays and all the bowls were usually blue and one tray had a purple bowl. Then we made the purple bowl tray perfect!

~ Isallin

I was busing tables. I was taking trays from tables and wiping down the spot where people spilled food or there were crumbs. Me Ella, Eloise and Jillian did that except Jill and Eloise were on one side and me and Ella were on the other.

I had an overall fun experience and I would like to go again. I didn’t really like it when it got really crowded but it was still fine.

I remember when I first got there and I was so exited to help people. I was really scared that I was going to be late. I got there when it was 6:47 and I thought I was going to be last but I wasn’t so it was good.

~ Daniella

Glide was very fun and we all had at a lot of fun, one specific moment was when me and Jonah were talking to a nice lady. My job was working in the Coffee House and it was fun because you get to bring the food to the people. She was nice because she was kind to us and she wouldn't stop talking to us.

~ August

At Glide I worked in the main room with Jillian, Ella and, Daniella. I enjoyed it but not as much as last time when we worked in the coffee house. There was one guy who yelled at me when I asked him if he wanted me to take his tray. I loved going to glide because it makes you feel better about homeless people.

~ Eloise

At Glide I put boiled eggs on trays in an assembly line. I did enjoy it because I did it with my friend. Another reason why I enjoyed it, I felt good after wards. I was giving food to people who don't have any. One special moment was when they were passing down the trays and all the bowls were usually blue and one tray had a purple bowl. Then we made the purple bowl tray perfect!

~ Isabella

I observed PHS students, specifically Jonah and August, despite the early morning hour, work hard, be attentive to tasks at hand, charm and delight the coffeehouse guests, and were respectful to all. They were content.

A while ago, I read somewhere that what drives people to excel is to feel of use. That is exactly what I felt yesterday morning and was witness to seeing PHS students at their best.

It was a great start to the day, and the positivity generated there sustained me throughout the day.

~ Eleanor

Thank you for letting me be a part of the Glide Breakfast service as a parent representative of one of the children in your Committee.

At any giving time, within the 2hrs busing tables this morning, it was: fun (?), interesting (?), messy (?), terrifying (?), and rewarding (?).

Not often does an event, in such a short period of time, help us reflect and add such a broad perspective to our lives and the lives of our kids.

Thanks, joey

I enjoyed the early morning drizzle awaiting the arrival of our team of volunteers. It was a pleasure standing, laughing, and joking with Isallin on the curb in front of Glide. Isallin greets everyday with a generous smile and an open heart. Our students' passion for giving back is an inspiration. It means so much to be able to serve and be some small part of these young peoples' lives.

~ Todd

PHS Middle School students Support Glide the Morning of 12/07/11

The PHS 6th and 7th graders rolled out of bed before the sun was up this morning! Thirteen of us met on a sidewalk in San Francisco's notorious Tenderloin at 6:30 AM. We spent the morning serving meals in the Glide Coffee House and worked preparing foods in the kitchen. Our students put an amazing amount of energy into Glide's many projects!



I chose to volunteer at Glide today because you get to help homeless people that need food. My jobs were to put pears inside containers and taking bread out of their bags and putting them into boxes. My favorite part was being able to talk to people while also working with them.

I didn't have a least favorite part because it was just so fun and awesome that there was nothing wrong with it.

~ Issalin Lopez

I chose to volunteer because I thought it would be cool to help people. My job today was serving people and refilling the pitchers with either water or coffee. My favorite moment was everything! My least favorite moment was nothing!

~ August

I choose to volunteer because I thought it would be fun. And it was! I put pears and various breads into big containers. These go to people who will prepare the food. My favorite part was when my friends where throwing pears at me. We were still getting work done, but it was fun. My least favorite moment of the day was that we had to wake up early. But it was worth it; another was wearing a hair net.

~ Isabella

Some would consider waking up at 5:00 am for the sole purpose of feeding the homeless a loss. I did too, until I went to Glide. I believe in the cause. I enjoyed my time, and believe I came out as, albeit it slightly, better person. During my time I prepared food for the homeless, additionally I was able to view the world of the homeless from their perspective. I truly become one of them (kind of) and was able to rethink my life. :) Bye

~ Emmett

I chose to volunteer at glide because I felt like helping people. After going there once I want to go to there many more times. Today my job was to serve people in the coffee house, which was for handicapped people. My favorite times were when I got to bring them food. My least favorite part of the day was when we had to clean the tables and get on the bus.

~ Eloise

I chose to volunteer today at Glide because I want to help people and give people food who can’t buy themselves food. My job today was to serve food and drinks to the people at Glide. My favorite part of the day was when people thanked me for giving them food. My least favorite part of the day was when we had to leave (:

~ Jonah

I served at Glide with a remarkable group of individuals. Together we prepared food for people of the TL community, treating them as if they were guests in our homes. I believe we all have preconceptions about people grappling with hunger and homelessness. Many of us are fearful of circumstances like these and are uncomfortable confronting these issues. Working to meet peoples' needs challenges me to be less judgmental and to live with compassion. I feel blessed and grateful for getting to share experiences like these with PHS students and staff.

~ Todd

I chose Glide because I thought about people that are hungry and have no food. I always wanted to be a volunteer for a program that helps people. My jobs were to serve the people, to give them their tray, and to give them things that they need. My favorite thing was to serve food to the people, I felt really excited. My least favorite thing was going to get more food from the other room because there were so many people in the hallways.

~ Jillian

I wanted to serve at Glide for a few reasons. I had heard about how
positive the work the organization does for a long time and was
curious to see it for myself and help out. I was also looking forward
to continuing the great tradition PHS has of serving there, and
hopefully bringing some food and happiness to the folks there.
Today at Glide I was on the meat station. I started off working with
Joe wrapping turkeys in saran wrap. After we prepared 16 turkeys we
got to walk through the whole back part of the kitchen to store them
in the big freezer. It was amazing to see how much food they have
there and how organized they need to be to serve as many people as
they do. I also sliced chorizo and ham for jambalaya.

My favorite event came right after I got dropped off. I was really
grouchy and grumpy when I woke up in the morning and was not in a
great mood. But as soon as I got to Glide, saw the students, met some
people and engaged in the work it changed my day around. It was a
fantastic experience.

I wouldn't say I had a least favorite experience, although I'm looking
forward to going back to Glide and working in a different area. I
loved seeing how the organization works behind the scenes, and look
forward to having more interactions with the folks who eat at Glide
next time.

It was a wonderful experience and I was so proud of how hard the
students worked and how they rose to the occasion! I heard a few
adults comment on how great the kids at PHS are!

~ Matt

PHS Middle School serves Breakfast 03/30/11

Going to glide was an amazing experience. I have never done anything like it before. I made me feel so grateful for what I have.
I knew I was helping so many people, and that made me feel great! I could tell how much everyone appreciated it. After i got into the swing of things.
I found my rhythm and had fun with it. I began to feel more conformable with my surroundings, and focused on the task at hand. When we were done. I felt so
great about what we had done, and knew that we had helped so many people. It was hard to get comfortable at first but with time i had fun and knew i was doing something very important!

~Averie

Glide was not surprising, it was just as fun as last time. It was interesting going for the second time because, there were a lot of people that i saw the time before and they were there again! Glide was very fun and I am glad that I was able to take a part in going there.

~ Gena

Thank you for taking us to glide. It was my first time there and I had a lot
of fun. It was a great experience to serve people. I kind of felt like
a waitress going from table to table. It was nice to help people. It was
very fun. I'm hoping to go another time.
Thanks Again!

~ Yennae

When I went to the Glide foundation I passed trays along an assembly line. I saw how grateful the people were and i felt good knowing I was helping people get a necessity of life. it is remarkable and sad that we served 750 meals.

~Chiara

Friday 01/28/11 PHS Serves Breakfast at Glide

Reflections on Our Time at Glide Friday 01/28/11

I really enjoyed my time at Glide. It was very different from all the other times that I’ve visited Glide because usually I serve in the coffeehouse. This time I was part of the food prep line and I had the opportunity to see the people we were serving when they got their food. Everyone was very gracious and polite and it was great to see how much we were helping them. Volunteering at Glide is a really great experience to have. I hope that everyone gets a chance to do it because you learn a lot while you’re there. You learn that you shouldn’t judge the homeless people that you see and that instead of avoiding them, you should find a way to help them. Volunteering anywhere is really important, but at Glide you can see the difference you are making.

~ Sofia

I noticed a lot of people were very polite, and thanked Camille when she gave them their food. People sometimes thanked me, also, for wiping the tables and refilling the pitchers of coffee, milk and water. But one thing that made me sad was how many people came, wanting food. It made me think of how many others there could be out there in the world, without the help from a soup kitchen. However I still felt happy that our school was doing something to help the poor.

One part that made me scared was there was a fight in the back part of the restaurant. Also some of the people in general made me feel unsafe. It is kind of hard not to judge them… though I am mostly good at not judging them, there are some people that I get uncomfortable with there.

I enjoy volunteering at glide. I like being with my friends and doing something good for other people. I would have liked to work in the food line instead of on the floor “waiting on tables.” But I still had fun. I hope that I can go again soon to volunteer with my class.

~Katrien


I had fun seeing how grateful the people were that we were serving. It's really sad how many people need those meals. My arm got really tired from putting utensils on trays, but it was worth it to see those happy people.


~Chiara

My experience at glide was fantastic. I had fun working with my friends and dancing to the music! I would so go back!

~Camille


Nothing feels more human and important than serving others and sharing a meal with people, no matter if this is around the dinner table in my home or at the welcoming tables of Mo's Kitchen at Glide.


Getting to support the Tenderloin community and share this experience with PHS students, parents and staff is profoundly meaningful to me. I'm grateful for and impressed with how generously everybody gave of themselves and how hard they worked! This world is definitely a better place for having each of them in it!


~Todd

My day at glide was and amazing experience. It is horrible seeing how many people can’t feed themselves.  I was working at the sugar distributor place and every time i gave them sugar they would say thank you so much and have a nice day. The same time I was helping people and having a blast it was very sad because over 700 people came in that morning. I was wondering were do they all stay? The streets all over San Francisco. I am glad that I could help someone out and make him or her have a better day.

~Genevieve

I just wanted to express my appreciation of your help in organizing the volunteering at Glide, and for the experience Camille had yesterday.  She said it was "life changing" to volunteer there, and talked a lot about it last night.  I think it was all the more powerful for her to have this experience with her classmates and you and Tony.
 
Thank you for including Camille in this valuable opportunity!

~Kara

When I went to glide I'm not going to lie it smelled sweaty and that's awful.  I felt bad for the homeless and didn't think about how I was helping them, but all I was doing was putting oranges on trays.  It got boring after looking at all of the oranges so I fell asleep with my eyes opened and my hands were still moving.  It was weird but there is this girl called Isabel and she started to talk to me which woke me up.  It felt good taking a nap.  But then I looked at all of the homeless and saw hundreds of homeless.  I didn't even think there was that many homeless in San Francisco.  But then I felt good feeding them.

~Johnny Kelly