"Hello, Salvation Army, my name is Margaret, and I was wondering if my friends and I could volunteer our time."

"If you want to come on Saturday mornings, you can help cook for the homeless."

"Okay, we'll be there Saturday morning. Bye."

My friends and I arrived on Saturday at 9: 30 still sleepy, but ready to cook. For Thanksgiving we made turkey sandwiches. Then we climbed on a big white truck with red writing on it which said Salvation Army. The truck looked like a big ice cream truck, with inside counter space and cabinets to store utensils and plates. We all piled in with turkey soup and lemonade containers, turkey sandwiches and boxes of pound cake. I was getting nervous because I never really come into contact with homeless people. I was afraid of them as if they were criminals, but with my friends around me, I felt safe.

Because I was really nervous I stayed in the back and was in charge putting pound cakes on the plates.

But as each Saturday passed it got easier and easier. Now I go outside the truck and have conversations with people like Kathy and Henry. They all are very loving and are nice people to talk to. We all know they appreciate the food we give them.

One time we had a smaller truck. There was nothing to hold the soup down and we didn't realize until we made a sharp turn and the soup fell and spilled out all over the place, We stood there with soup up to our ankles. All we could do was laugh.

Community service makes me feel really good about myself because I'm helping people who have less than I do. When I go home and eat dinner in my warm house with my family all around me, I feel grateful for what I have and to be able to eat whenever I'm hungry and to be warm at night. fl