Everyone knows that old joke about the two women at a resort discussing dinner: “The food here is lousy,” the first noted. “You’re right! And such small portions!!” the second added.
Food, even terrible food, has a way of bringing people together and that connection between food and relationships is something we think about a lot at 999 Club.
We give people experiencing homelessness food but we’re not a food charity. There are lots of amazing food charities that do exactly that, including many we work with such as City Harvest, Felix project and more. They do amazing work to make sure that people do not go hungry.
That’s important work. Not only is being hungry a terrible feeling but it also makes everything else so difficult. Try paying attention or dealing with frustrations or even making a plan when you’re starving. It is a lot harder than once you have a bit of food in you.
That is part of the reason 999 Club provides food. If you are hungry, you will find filling out a form, discussing your situation or speaking on the phone much harder and these are all things we encourage people to do, so that they can find a home.
But there’s more to it than this. It is well known to the point of cliché that breaking bread with someone is a way of getting to know them. That is not a straightforward thing. Listening to people, in a non-judgemental way, is a difficult skill that many people will never master. You can have as much pasta as you want but if you are a blowhard or tone deaf then you will never get to know people and you will not get any closer to building a trusting relationship.
At 999 Club, engagement starts with meeting basic needs such as food, shower and laundry but it does not end there. We meet basic needs in a way that builds trusting mutually respectful relationships, which are the basis for supporting people to escape homelessness.
Which reminds me of another old joke: “I’m not crazy about reality, but it’s still the only place to get a decent meal.”