Is it just me or what????

CJUS · #1 02-28-2002, 01:49 PM

Hey all, I started my first day of community service at this church program to help "inner city youth" in single parent households. So on Wednesday nights, the church offer lunch to the children and then they go upstairs to their classrooms. Okay this is my problem here, I hope I don't offend anybody because that is not my intention.

I notice a difference in how the black children was handled than the white children. Okay, remember I said maybe it was just me. OOKay, the black children had to eat on plain tables. they had cold bologna sandwiches, and water to drink. They had to hurry up and eat and go upstairs before the white children come in to eat then go to Bible study. The table for the white children looked as if you were sitting down in a restaurant. They had the white table cloths, their silver ware was properly palced aroung their plates, and they had cloth napkins neatly folded. They had hot grilled cheese sandwiches. The black children had paper towels. The classrooms were freezing. Every room in the church was comfortable. It was as if we were on the outside.

One thing I can surely say that they did have nice educational resources. But my thing is I though that when an organization is providing a service to mankind, they are supposed to be giving children a better outlook on life. I was a little upset because my children was exposed to this. I took them with me. I mean why should there been a difference of how they treated the children.
I don't think that this organization is for me.

Honeykiss1974 · #2 02-28-2002, 02:31 PM

No. I would definitely point this out to the appropriate person and ask why. Maybe it was just an oversight or something of that nature, but regardless.......
Besides, a cold bologna sandwich and water?????????? That alone pisses me off!!

CJUS · #3 02-28-2002, 02:39 PM

I was furious. I wanted to leave right then, but my children were having so much fun, but I am going to ahve to explain to them that we have to go somewhere else because that was not for us.

I just feel so bad for those children that are going to be left behind. I jsut wish that I could open up a center for them, you know and have some people in there to help them with their homework. It's something that have been bothering me all night and day.

prayerfull · #4 02-28-2002, 02:39 PM

Ooohhhhh Hellllll Noooo!

Cjus - You need to immediately confront someone about this. Frankly, I would document it as a letter and address it to the head of the church program, the pastor of the church, and the chairman of the church's trustee board. You should describe the situation just as you did in the email message.

Is this a black church?

This is blatant discrimination and if I were you, in that letter, I would state that you are uncomfortable participating in any program that intentionally treats non-white children unfairly.

CJUS · #5 02-28-2002, 02:42 PM

It was a white church. I am going to address it. But the person who is the head of the program was there, both of them!!!! I am going to let her know where I stand with this. And I can't understand how the black people who volunteer there accepts this. I just don't know y'all.

Steeltrap · #6 02-28-2002, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CJUS
And I can't understand how the black people who volunteer there accepts this. I just don't know y'all.

Have you brought the issue up with fellow volunteers to see what it may be about?

CJUS · #7 02-28-2002, 03:23 PM

Well, actually I haven't. I just ran this by to one of my co-workers and she stated that it was an inner city program, and some kids don't even have a cold bologna sandwich to eat. Then these children were not memebers of the church unlike the white kids. The white children parents are paying tithes and offerings to the church and so that's why they probably have the better food. And besides it's a community service organization, and the food to the program was donated and probably limited. So they had to give the children what they had. She stated that she rather had a bologna sandwich over a grilled cheese sandwich any way.

I agree with the food and stuff being donated, but if other children are around, and I don't have enough of something. I don't give it to my children because the other children will be wanting some too. The kids wanted cake, the program directors told them that it was for the other kids and that they couldn't have none. I just treat everyone the same.

By the way I emailed them and let them know I felt, and why I will not be participing with their organization.