A 13 year-old girl transferred her urge to give money to street-beggars to something more productive. She worked for a year in soup kitchen with her mother. Those early morning commitments exposed her to another generation at a time when most adolescents are totally focused on themselves. She received a warning about drug and alcohol abuse far stronger than any classroom presentation. The people she served did not exude glamour but they were wonderful, nevertheless. These were perhaps the only Americans she would ever encounter who were not in a hurry. Homeless people have plenty of time to pass on knowledge and life experiences, give drawing lessons, teach card tricks, and relate fascinating real life stories.

As members of the truly Volunteer Corps, even cynical adolescents soon learn that they can make a difference; that they matter; that they can provide food and companionship to sad and forgotten people.