Adam Majewski, a baker and a community activist from Minneapolis, USA is an active Baker without Borders member since 2017. He believes that “Those who are most in need of things like help with food and basic necessities, deserve the best and finest just as much as all other human beings on this planet we call home.” This is why in October last year, Adam organized and delivered a community meal in a homeless encampment in the Twin Cities. In his passionate story about the event, Adam shares his thoughts on individual and community responsibility towards those who are left behind.
We publish the original story of Adam. Find out more about his inspiring initiatives and ideas at https://themajesticchef.wordpress.com
Crumbassador: A Wall Of Our Forgotten Brothers and Sister, and Bakers Without Boarders-TC: Doing Our Best To Help!
By Adam Majewski
Minneapolis, Minnesota, as a member of the Bakers Without Boarders Crumbassador team, and a career Chef, food is and for the most part, has been a big part of my life for a long time, I find it to be an important part of everyone’s daily life. I’m not a big fan of bringing up the topic of politics in my work, in order to separate my professional life, from my own personal opinion. I how ever have found that in some cases politics have to be spoken about on a level which coincides with some specific topics. In the era of trump, politics have finally here in Minneapolis and St. Paul made poverty and Homelessness more and more visible which is always a sad reminder that poverty and homelessness even still exists in this country, but I feel that it is much-needed in order to hopefully wake people up to the fact, we as a society have allowed our problems as a community of supposed like-minded individuals to go on for way to long, and has created a society which benefits the few at the expense of the many. People in this day and age are so wrapped up in their own life’s problems that we forget, in order for society, no matter how big or small to function, that we are all in this journey called life together and that we need to continually help raise up our fellow humans to the same level of our own achievements, or everything else crumbles at our feet.
With that said, here in Minnesota at least, from my experience there have been a lot of people who have been left behind and forgotten about. The largest group of which have been Native Americans who have suffered the most from not being treated the same or even as equals with respect and dignity. Over this past summer, an encampment of homeless, both individuals and families, has sprung up, along the the Hiawatha and Cedar ave corridor of the East Phillips neighborhood. The growing emergency to provide access of basic necessities to these deserving individuals ranging from food, clothing, and clean water and housing for those most in need, children, the elderly and those most valnurable by no fault of their own who all are living here.
Now this past friday October 26, 2018, I organized and delivered my first community meal delivery as a Crumbassador for the Bakers Without Boarders Initiative here in the Twin Cities, to the Homeless Encampment where Cedar and Hiawatha meet. In the past I’ve spoken a lot about people coming together as a community to support those most in need, and have finally started my own path to being more community oriented and active with supporting those most in need of support. As I was prepping food, I became very anxietious with wanting to do a good job and provide them with the best meal i can which to be honest I felt it really was not my own best work and could have not better, mainly due to the rice being cooked through was a bit over cooked on the top layer do to poor container choice for cooking.
How ever the chicken was perfect, but after getting to the site, setting up and starting to serve, my mind went blank, after which I had the biggest realization of my life, a sense of, This Is What I’m Suppose To Be Doing. How ever next time and everytime after that I need to keep improving and serving better and better food. Why? Because those who are most in need of things like help with food and basic necessities, deserve the best and finest just as much as all other human beings on this planet we call home. In fact they probably disserve it more, and I am one of the many bakers, food professionals, fellow human beings who care to take responsibility in providing our services, our leadership skills, as well our skills in our respective careers, at no charge or cost of any kind to them. People out there will ask why? They will not understand! And the only answer I can give is, because, there is no reason at all not to.
We as a group, have lived in a society for to long, which allows us to, think, act, and continue our lives as if we individually don’t need to do anything, because the person sitting right next to us will do it. The problem in this thinking is that no one is putting in to the equation that the person sitting next to every other person is thinking the same exact thing about themselves not needing to help, while also thinking that you will do it. This needs to change, no doubt about it, and until we all take responsibility for not just ourselves but one another, which does include myself doing the same, there will always be poverty and hunger.
what I would have to say, I took most out of my first experience making a full effort to be a positive part of society, is that I need to be more involved helping others, as well it is what makes me the most happy, to make sure others are receiving a good home cooked meal from the heart.
What I hope is next as a Bakers Without Boarders Crumbassador here in the TC, is continue working with those at the Hiawatha Encampment providing meals and food when we are able to raise enough money to do so, through donations, community focused events and community focused sports to bring EVERYONE together from the poor and homeless all the way up the social ladder, no matter what it takes to create positive change both in our local community and hopefully around the world.
