03/10/2026
We just wanted to share a paper written by Vi for a school project. Here is what she had to say:
I step out of my grey Chevy and grab the lunches from the back of Joe’s white van. “Pickles,” as she’s so affectionately called for her love of the vinegar snack, runs up to us, asking if we have any. Joe smiles—he’s been hiding them behind his back, a playful game, and presents them to her. She’s thrilled! Then we move on to the next apartment. I knock on the door and exclaim, “Brown Bag!” Michael opens his door to greet me. He is nonverbal, but he still knows how to show love and appreciation. I stand in his doorway and listen to his mom share her week.
These are just a few of the people I deliver lunches to routinely with Brown Bag Ministry. I started volunteering there in middle school as part of my confirmation classes at St. Eugene’s. But while others were confirmed and moved on, I couldn’t just throw away the meaningful relationships I had made. But we were often short-staffed. (One could say we were “in a pickle.”) Motivated and inspired to connect with and support underserved neighbors in my community, I wondered: could do more? I ended up bringing Brown Bag Ministry to EWA, enlisting my peers to join me. Now, we’ve had at least 10-15 EWA students come to Brown Bag, filling our need. Turns out, brown-bagging lunches for others has turned into a blessing for us all.
