What should I call this?

"Yeah, I'm doing alright." This is what I hear almost every time I ask him how he is doing. Yet, I see the sadness in his eyes, and hear the pain in his voice. He doesn't break eye contact and nods his head while twisting his mouth into a smile. All this to reassure me that he's doing alright... I'm not fooled. But, I say no more, and he walks out the door, not to be seen again until the next week when the Verandah opens again.

The Verandah is a community room where people who are homeless or who live in the Government housing in the surrounding area can come and hang out and/or receive emergency food parcels. Most of the people who come to the Verandah have a mental illness and/or a problem with drug addiction or alcoholism. The Verandah receives donated food each month which is stored in a pantry. People who come can get one food parcel each consisting of 6 food items. Several reasons why people may need food parcels are because they've spent all their money on drugs, they may have to pay rent so they can't afford food for the week, maybe they pay child support and can't make ends meet so they don't eat... the list goes on. But we do more than hand out food parcels and provide a place for people to come hang out... we are a listening ear and a voice of reasoning in some circumstances.

When walking home after closing up the Verandah for the day, I pass the grocery store that we go to each week and I see one of the men who come to the Verandah sitting on a bench in front of the store. I hesitated for a second or two and decided against going up to say hi. I need him to trust me a little more before making that kind of contact. But in that moment, my heart melted. I am so excited to be apart of what the Verandah is doing. It is a privilege to be involved in this way.