Narrative Essay On Go Bananas

I will never look at a sandwich the same again. This summer, I was fortunate enough to work as the first high school outreach coordinator at my church. It was part of my job to organize “Go Bananas,” a project that would provide lunches to children who typically receive subsidized lunches during the school year, but may go without food during the summer. I was also asked to create the Bible study and activities for the kids. None of these gifts and activities would make a difference in the children’s heart like a personal conversation. One hot afternoon, I sat down with a damaged boy, Angelo, who generously shared his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and story with me. This young boy taught me humility and selflessness that will stick with

At the end of each day, before he would climb on the bus to go home, he would run up to me and give me a giant hug and kiss. It never failed for me to notice how generous and loving he was even though he had so little, and for me to question myself how I could be more giving. However, one day, when I told him we had to pack up the markers so we could go eat lunch, he became violent. He started throwing punches and I had to grab him, hug him, and repeat that “hands are helping, not hurting.” When I finally got Angelo to calm down, I told him that “I love him” and then I would give him a huge kiss, but he remained aloof. I asked him if had ever been told someone loves him and he responded by saying “no.” My heart sunk into my stomach, and the only thing I could think to do was to guide him to eat lunch. As we both took bites out of the sandwich, I asked him about school, what sports he liked to play- which he was all too excited to talk about- but when I asked him about his family, he grew hesitant. He eventually explained to me that his mom died when he was two, and that he lived with his little sister and father. My heart broke with him when he shared that his father would hurt him, and that his sister and him were rescued this summer by their aunt, with whom they live