May 11th, 2003
May Food Service for the Homeless

This May 11th, was Mothers’ Day in the Rockies, and Nippon Kan members gathered in the Nippon Kan garden to peel potatoes and carrots for the day’s Homeless Meal Service. A tradition for over the past 13 years, vegetables and other food stuffs are prepared after morning practice at Nippon Kan and then transported to the Denver Rescue Mission at about 2:00 pm. where the cooking begins. Meals are served first at 5:00 pm to the sixty or so residents living at the Mission and again at 8:00 pm to the Mission’s outside guests which number usually around 250.

The menu for the 5:00 pm. dinner includes:
Chicken curry with rice
Sweet and sour pork
Sautéed beef with vegetables
Maguro tempura
Cabbage and bacon sauté
Fried gyoza dumplings
The menu for the 8:00 pm. dinner includes:
Chicken curry and rice
Cabbage and bacon sauté
Fried gyoza
Desert
Bread
Milk

The curry dinner served by Nippon Kan is quite a hit with the Denver Rescue Mission residents and outside guests. It seems to be popular because it is easy to digest, spicy for taste and nutritious.

The dinners are served at the Denver Rescue Mission by Homma Kancho and a staff of Nippon Kan students who volunteer on a regular basis. We are joined from time to time by members of the community who have expressed interest in donating their time. Japanese restaurant owners, other Japanese Martial Art Shihan, Consulate-General of Japan Consul members and even Japanese government officials visiting from Japan have all joined in on occasion. For this dinner, the Nippon Kan volunteer staff was joined by Denver University Japan Student Association Vice President Yusuke Kitazawa and his brother Kosuke.

The following is an article written by Yusuke Kitazawa, a native Japanese student who is studying here in Denver, after his experiences at the mission:

When I heard about Denver Rescue Mission from Sensei, honestly, at first, I thought what Sensei has been doing for 13 years? He told us that instead of having party, they started to help Denver Rescue Mission. It is surely more fun having party than doing volunteers.

Also, I thought Sensei has been doing this because this help is thanked from everyone, however, this was wrong. Sensei also told us about hard things that he has been had during mission, as well as been thanked.

I could not understand is the point for doing this before I actually help Sensei.

On the day I and my brother helped Sensei; we lost the way to get there and arrived at a different place that also helps homeless persons. When we realized that place was wrong, I started thinking differently. I heard that, seems like stereotypes, Americans welcome to do volunteers. I felt it was more than that. Similar helping places at opposite corner, I could not believe it. I thought there were only few places like that, and never thought they were very close each other.

When we got there, we were not sure what to do, because everyone except us were working their work and knowing what they need to do. I tried to help preparation as much as I could; however, I think my work was not enough to help other people who were also helping.

When we started to serve dinner, my confusion was at peak. I was not able to fit into the place I was in. Everything went so quickly. However, as I worked as bushing plates away from the table, and prepare for next person, I am getting used to and able to work more efficiently. I am getting calm and composed. I started understand what this mission means and why Sensei has been doing for 13 years. After that, I was able to work relaxed and able to work like waiter at the any restraints. Before that, I was doing volunteer, so that my quality of work to them was very low. However, when I started working as waiter, my quality of work improved and could serve better way.

I am sure that mission that we did was different from definition of “Volunteer” of my understanding. Also, people came there on that day was very different from my image, I sometimes feel that “is this person really homeless person?” As a business major student at University of Denver, I also thought unemployment and economy condition in here.


On the way going back to my home on that night, I and my brother talked about what each of us thing about mission, and ended at whenever we have time, help Sensei as much as possible. Also, we took “Volunteer” differently, from our own pleasure to other people’s pleasure. This is completely different what volunteer is thought as Japan where our home country. However, I also think that this experience helps us our consideration or way of treat to other people, and surely let us grew as person.

Finally, I would like to thank to all people in mission to let us be one of great team. This was great opportunity to think about human lives and our lives.

Yusuke Kitazawa