Ark Aid Street Mission: Observation Report

Introduction

Founded in 1984, the Ark Aid Street Mission is an organization who serves individuals who live on the margins of society. Known as a popular charity, The Ark is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency which is supported by a variety of people and associations such as churches and businesses. Staff, volunteers, and donors are all motivated by Christian faith, and express kindness, and love to individuals who need it most. The work and ministry of the Ark is dedicated to helping anyone who is need, regardless of colour, race, and ethnicity. The organization provides holistic services for the whole person, encouraging and helping individuals to discover or rediscover individual values. By focusing on holistic services including

The ruffles I was snacking on had more of a salty sensation. The taste of the salt was so satisfying I ate the whole bag in approximately 3 minutes. Besides the chips, the only other taste on my tongue was the water I had been drinking.

Smell

When first walking into The Ark, there was sort of an older musty type smell to the building. You could tell by looking around that the building wasn’t the newest building. When deeper into the facility the smell of coffee arouse, which gave the room a sweeter smell. When the food was being served, an overpowering smell of chilli arouse making the whole room smell amazing. The sweet strong smell of chili eventually spread all throughout the room, and the smell lasted until I had left the building.

Waiting in line to get inside, a few strangers had given me some dirty looks and a man even mumbled something to me that I couldn’t make out. I was quite nervous and terrified as this was my second ethnography, but was the first time ever conducting an ethnography on my own. It was a new experience and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had also never really been in that area before, as it clearly was more of an impoverished area. It was also my first time ever entering a soup kitchen, so that experience as a whole was new to me. Since most of the people at The Ark were regulars, a few people had looked at me in awe, wondering who the I was. The stares kind of made me feel a little uncomfortable as you could clearly tell I didn’t fit in. The way I dressed compared to them was much different. Usually I dress to impress most or make myself seem presentable unlike these less fortunate who didn’t care they looked like. l. Spending a few hours in that soup kitchen really made me realized that some people are much fortunate that others and that we must be thankful for what we have. Not everyone is entitled to a well paying job, or entitled to all the resources they want or need. This experiences really changed the way I see life and made me really appreciate all that I have in life. I am thankful for everything I have, and will donate to charities such as The Ark when I have the