Last Run of 2010

Tonight was our last run of the semester. Along with sandwiches, we handed out coats that were donated through the Coat Drive sponsored by the LU Softball team. These were very much appreciated; we encountered many groups of people who showed gratitude for these coats as it was one of the colder nights we’ve had this season. There were relatively few people in the usual areas of Harvard Square; however one individual pointed us in the direction of a place where we were sure to find another community of people. Once we got to the area he directed us to, we noticed that there were a lot of belongings and several people we had never met before. They also graciously accepted the coats and were eager to find out why we were out giving them away and what “religious group” we were affiliated with. They seemed to have a sense of dependability on one another; one man said his girlfriend was out to get water and he would hold the coat for her. He also mentioned that he knew of others who would want a coat, and he would be able to find owners for them. The group stuck together. When they were forced to leave the street of a different area, they worked together to bring their things to a new place where they’d be left alone. As we concluded the night, we realized we had a few more oranges left in the bag. As one of us suggested we bring the oranges to the group of people we had previously met, our entire group was enthusiastic to join. When we got back to this place, the people we had met shook our hands again and were grateful for the fruit.

I didn’t mention this earlier, but on the way to and from the sandwich deliveries, our group broke out into Holiday caroling. We were clearly all in the Holiday spirit, and even though it didn’t seem relative at the time, I can see how Lesley Delivers and the Holidays go hand in hand. Tonight was all about giving, but we weren’t the only ones to give. Before we even got to Harvard Square, people we passed would smile at us and join in on the songs we sang. We may not have given them anything, but at least we gave them the chance to smile at the end of their day. During the run, even though we handed out sandwiches and an extra layer to many people, I think we were more on the receiving end. When one group interacted with an individual who accepted a sandwich, he made a comment to make everyone in the group laugh. He was happy about this, and quietly said that as long as he made them smile, that’s all that mattered. In the other group, I gained a lot from that one brief conversation with the person in the new community. He was so grateful for us taking an hour out of our day to bring them sandwiches and coats. He really lifted my spirits by making us feel like the most important people in the world, when really, we were only doing what we knew was right. It was a great end to a very successful Lesley Delivers, and with the Holidays upon us, we really celebrated the act of giving.
-Elissa

The Lucky Ones

Last week, our run was one of the smallest, but one of the most profound we have had this semester. Although it was cold, we saw many different people. One of the biggest things we noticed was the sense of community that we stumbled upon in the Coop. As a few of us walked in to talk to two of the people sitting there, we noticed that there were a lot more belongings than there were people. The woman talking to us began to tell us that all of the food they get they save until everyone is there and then they put it in the middle and share it. She told us this as she was holding a pizza box to her body for warmth and smiling at the fact that a group “of young people like [us]” had come a little bit ago and brought them freshly baked Tollhouse cookies. She was one of the most cheerful women I have met during these runs, and the hope she gave me - I know she passes on to every person she shares her food with.
Another girl that we met struck me personally. She was sitting outside of CVS and we passed her once starting our run and then again heading back to the debrief. The first time we handed her a sandwich, exchanged a few words and continued on. She seemed friendly, but also very absorbed in the book she was reading and trying to keep warm. On our way back, we gave her a second sandwich and stopped to talk with her for a few seconds longer. The first thing I noticed was that she was my age, the second was that the book she was reading was a textbook. She was a student, just like me, trying to get her education so that she could make something of herself.
These are two things we have never really seen during our runs: a community of people that come together to keep each other warm and share food mixed with good humor, and a student who is just like the rest of us. People throw around the word lucky a lot in everyday life, but in both of these cases I think it takes on its true meaning. Those people have a support system, they have others to lean on and to gain strength from. The girl we met is going to school. She’s getting an education, and maybe someday she will be able to help others to get out of the situation she was once in. And then there’s us. We were the lucky ones – because we were the ones that got to take away the lessons that these Harvard Square prophets had to give.

Community

During the run tonight, our group witnessed an extraordinary sense of community. While there are usually many instances of individuals sitting alone in Harvard Square, tonight we saw mostly groups of people, chatting, helping and sharing with one another. Although it was unfortunate and very saddening to see the amount of people we saw tonight, we were somewhat grateful to know that they provided support for one another. Their care for each other showed particularly at one moment, when a woman would give sandwiches up to others before taking one for herself. She took on a motherly role with this group, and made sure that everyone had a meal and was satisfied before she fulfilled her own needs. It is remarkable to think that even in the situations where food and shelter and other necessities are so scarce, people still look out for one another before themselves. I hope that because the people we delivered sandwiches to tonight were among other peers and had support; they were a bit more positive and hopeful than they would be if they had been alone. Community is so important to a person’s sense of security, because no matter what situation a person is in, they have a support network they can rely on for strength, safety, and belonging. This sense of belonging and shared experience seems as though it would be significant in helping a person to cope with the troubles they are dealt.
-Elissa

What We Have

By Elissa
A small group of us went into Harvard Square tonight. Upon reaching the “pit,” we realized there were far more people than we had sandwiches, and every person we offered a sandwich to accepted it. Many of the people in this area were young, no older than us in some cases. They were thankful for what sandwiches we did have, and even though they were outside on a cold night, they were in good spirits. They were friendly and even joked around with us a bit as we said goodbye. It makes me think about how many times a day I wish I was doing something else, or complain about very trivial inconveniences throughout my day. Just one hour earlier, before the run, I had very casually complained about the work I had for class. It wasn’t until I handed a PB&J to someone in the pit that I realized what I had done. In the big scheme of things, most of the people we witnessed tonight are in far more dire situations than I have ever been in. To be without a home is to be without the feeling of security we rely on, but take for granted, everyday. To not have a warm bed to sleep in at night is to not be able to put one day to rest and start anew the next morning. The constant stress of not having a home does not go away at night and return in the morning. It is not something they can forget for a little while, like we may forget about an assignment that is stressing us out or a rocky friendship. It is something that they must always be aware of. To have this kind of trouble but still be able to say “Thanks! You have a good night, too,” with a smile on their faces is something I can’t even fathom. Although I don’t know the precise circumstances of the people we gave sandwiches to tonight, whether they are homeless or not, to even have to accept a sandwich or meal from a stranger because other means of eating aren’t available is troublesome in itself, and very scary for some college students to imagine. The fact that I am in college an am earning an education is reason in itself to think carefully before I complain about something I have to do. The lesson I learn time and time again, and have to continually remind myself of, is that the things I have and the opportunities available to me are privileges, and to forget how special they are is to take life for granted.

A Blog That's a Long Time Coming

A smile is something we all take for granted. It is an act between two human beings that makes us feel like we mean something on this earth. Given this definition, it is hard to think about going a day or longer without smiling. You might shrug and say that it doesn’t really matter to you either way, but try going a day without getting smiled at or smiling at anyone. It might be harder than you think. This is something we touched on last night at our debrief after our run. I know there have been blogs about how the people we serve are, in fact, people. I know we have written about how we need to try to make them actually feel like people. But honestly, it is worth repeating. We all have luxuries that we don’t think of as such. We have people we talk to on a daily basis, we have people we can lean on (whether they be friends, family, or a combination of both), and we all receive at least one hug and more smiles than we can count in a day. What if all of that went away? What if you didn’t have someone to get a hug from when you are upset, or to tell you everything is going to be okay?
The people we serve have talked to us, we’ve read their signs, we’ve handed them a simple paper bag with very basic food in them. But unfortunately, that might be the most interaction they get all day. Elissa, one of the leaders, told us about a sign she saw that one man was holding that said something to the effect of “please just smile”. That simple act, that one muscle movement, will give them a little bit of hope. Someone noticed them. Someone acknowledged that they are there, that they are human.


So please. Just smile.

"How are you going to change the world?"

This was written by Elissa May, one of the leaders and the secretary of Lesley Delivers. She and Merrie Rothstein led the run tonight.

Tonight was an interesting night for both groups on the sandwich runs. A lot of communication was made between the students and the people in Harvard Square, which opened our eyes to things that we may not see from day to day. In one instance, a man that accepted a sandwich wanted to know more about our plans for the future, and responded to our goals of becoming Human Service workers and teachers in ways we did not expect. From seeing the lack of change that has occurred throughout the years in society and the social issues involving homelessness and poverty that are still very much prevalent in any community, this man had grown pessimistic about the future. He challenged us in ways we are not used to, asking us questions like, “How are you going to change the world?” This experience left us all a little unsure of ourselves and our futures, but it was a wake up call in the sense that it made us reflect on what we wanted to do for the world, and how in just a few short years of college, it will be our time to make our change.
After every sandwich run, it’s important to reflect on how we could improve our action and what could make our work a little more meaningful. The group has a lot of ideas of ways we can cater more to the needs of the people we serve, and provide them with different meals other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We sometimes receive responses to the PB&J sandwiches that suggest that the population would prefer something different, such as a ham and cheese sandwich, or something with less sugar. This is feedback that is useful for us to alter and change our program to make it the most useful and beneficial to those we serve. It is our hope that with some planning and reexamining of the club’s process, we can create changes that help us to make the most positive impact in our community.

We're Back!!

Lesley Delivers has started up again! Last week we had our first successful run of the year, with 15 people going out to help make and deliver sandwiches. We had so many new people it was wonderful. We saw many people in Harvard Square we had never seen before, and they were all completely kind and thankful for what we were doing. The experience affected some of the new people in different ways. Some got very emotional as they really saw, for the first time, the faces of hunger and homelessness. Some shared hugs with some of the people receiving sandwiches. In our debrief we talked about how everyone felt, and everyone agreed that they had gained something from what they had just done. Watching some of the freshmen talking about how they had never realized how personal it could be and how they wanted to do it again reminded me why I started doing this in the first place. This is all about connection. You get something every time you serve. You make a connection with another human being, someone who could be just like you only took a different path in life. You gain a better understanding of life through doing things like Lesley Delivers, and I truly hope that as the year goes on we have more runs like our first of the year.

Last Run before Summer

This past week we had our last Lesley Delivers run of the semester. We did make it more fun and informative by adding a Sleep Out in the quad. First we all came together and made sandwich bags for the run. We had a larger group this time, therefore we were able to split up into three groups. The run went smoothly and we saw a lot of people out. There were new people in the run that got to experience interacting with the people in Harvard Sq. for the first time. Someone had said that this was a great experience for her because normally after she gets out of work she feels unsafe walking alone because of the stereotypes of what it means to be hungry and/or homeless. She said that because she came on the run that she was able to see them as people and not something that society projects on to them.
After the run we all came back and got ready for a night on the quad. We had blankets on the ground and we had sleeping bags. We wanted to experience a night of being without the basics of a bed and a roof. We also wanted to create awareness within the community. We had signs up so that whenever someone walked by while we were sleeping they would know what we were doing. It made a point that no matter what your age or situation, you could still be hit by homelessness and/or hunger. As we go into the summer and the next semester of school in the fall, we need to remember that. So next time you pass someone by on the street, smile. Acknowledge the fact that we are all human and that every human needs contact. Try and be that little bit of light that can get someone through the day.

Stereotypes

This past week we had a run that was very eventful. We had a big group that came out, which means more and more people are hearing about us and want to get involved!
The main thing that happened that night occurred at the Tannery. Two different groups went there at separate times, and both noticed the police presence. The first group went down and began to talk with the men there. However, an argument broke out between them and they weren’t really paying attention to the group. The argument was about one of the men who was very obviously intoxicated and was trying to push alcohol on others. The men who usually stayed at the Tannery didn’t want him there because he was attracting attention and making them look bad. By the time the group left, a police officer had come over. The second group saw much of the same thing when they went.
We talked about this in the debrief. It was a way of seeing the stereotypes of what it means to be homeless or hungry broken a little. Just because there was one man who was acting in that way, doesn’t mean the others are. In fact, he was shunned by all of the people around him. There is a community there, and they don’t want someone coming in and making their community into something that is negative. They just want to live their lives the best way they can. And the one thing that stuck with me was, even amid the fighting over this man, we still got thank yous and felt the gratitude from the people who did take the sandwiches. We all need to remember to look at people has human beings, not as what society tells us they are supposed to be.

Comfort

Tonight we talked about comfort levels. One group experienced a man who came up to them at the end of their run and began to sing to them. The only thing is, he moved very close to some of the people in the group and it might have made them feel uncomfortable. They were faced with the daunting question of “What do we do?”. Luckily, the man just sang for a few seconds and then they were able to walk away. But it was still hard, even in the debrief, to come up with a truly good way to deal with someone crossing into your comfort zone. The other group had the opposite experience. There is a man that has become a familiar face on one of the routes and we have started to talk to him regularly. People feel comfortable going down to him and having a conversation with him. Tonight he got excited that we had juice, but at the same time he made sure that we left some for the people who were sleeping around him. I know that it must have taken him a while before he was truly comfortable talking to us with the ease that he does.
It just goes to show you that sometimes you have to slowly get used to a person (or people) in order to trust them. Comfort is something that cannot be thrown at you. When out on the streets, one can imagine the difficulty they must have with finding trust and comfort in other people. Belief in the kindness of the human nature is all they have, and it’s something that we can help kindle.

Introducing... Erika and Elissa!

Sorry for the late post everyone! I still wanted to put up a post to talk about last week’s run even though we have another run tomorrow. Last week we had our two leaders lead the program for the first time and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Elissa May (EMay) ran the programming (reading off the guidelines and directing people what to do while putting the bags together, and Erika Bareiss helped her facilitate. They were the ones that led the groups out into Harvard Square.
While on the groups there was a conversation that came up about the Tannery. The way that it is set up is that we have to go down a set of stairs to get to the people below. On that night we went down and there were two men, one of whom we see sometimes. The other man was one we had never seen before. They were both really friendly and the new man said to us something like “You don’t have to worry about anything girls! You’re safe with me!”. Of course, most (if not all) of us were now comfortable going down there. Once we left we talked about how he had acted. We thought that he seemed like he wanted to seem “normal” almost as if he didn’t belong there. I pointed out stairs in the Tannery and how they could be seen as a metaphor. We had to be able to come down to them. To some people that may be seen as going down to their level, or rejecting our sense of normalcy in order to give what we can. And honestly, I am okay with taking that on. The people in my group agreed with me when saying that we have now become comfortable with it. Showing people that it is okay to be equal is something that we aim to do. If that means that we go down those stairs to hold a conversation and give a smile with a sandwich, then we will keep doing it.

Three Events in a Week

This week was an amazing week for Lesley Delivers. On Monday a group of students from a local elementary school came to visit and learn about what we do. We got to make sandwiches for the next nights run with them, and talk about what homelessness is. We were so impressed with how articulate and well versed in the situation they were. Hanging out with them made our day, and they have had a lasting impression on us. They talked about how they wanted to do more to help people, and they talked about different ways to bring service to their school. We thank them so much for giving Lesley Delivers peanut butter and jelly and other donations. They were true inspirations and we would welcome them back anytime.
The next nights run went well, a man that doesn’t really talk to us talked to a group. Even though he didn’t take anything, it was still great that he felt comfortable enough to make that connection with us. We didn’t see that many people out, which (as stated many times before) could be a great thing because that might mean that they have roofs over their heads.
Another thing I wanted to address is a quick run that a friend and I did this past weekend. On Easter, two of us went on an impromptu run with some of the extra sandwiches we had left over. We also put some chocolate and hand wipes in the bags. The one thing we didn’t have was juice. We saw so many people out, including a few people who looked to be about our age. All of the people we encountered asked for juice. It made us feel terrible that we didn’t have any. I will be the first to admit that I wanted to go into a store and buy some just so that I could go back. But my friend reminded me that we were giving already, and that the bags we were handing out were going very much appreciated. The kids that came to visit had the same feeling when they realized that we deliver the sandwiches late at night and that they weren’t going to be able to come. They wanted so badly to be able to give the sandwiches they made to people in need. But once we talked to them about how big of a help they were already, they were contented to continue their sticky job of peanut butter and jellying. Sometimes we have to remember that we need to do what we can, and not over extend ourselves to the point where we give more than we can. We all have moments were we wish we could do more, but we need to step back and know that we are already giving and that says something in itself.

Just Another Rainy Tuesday?

It’s a humbling feeling to go out on a night like tonight, while it is pouring out, to try and give out sandwiches. This is how one person in our group put it in our debrief tonight. As we huddled under the shelter of the Coop, we realized that we didn’t see that many people out tonight (which is amazing) and that the people we did see looked at us in a certain way. When we do guidelines right before the run, we always try to say “Don’t Pity” – that is try not to show it to the people we are talking to. One group walked up to a man standing just inside the cover of the Harvard T Station to give him some sandwiches. This man starred at us with a mixture of thanks and question. He looked at us because we were soaking wet, but still crazy enough to walk around with bags of food. Another man, who we see a lot, was out again tonight. This time, upon seeing us, he didn’t raise his head a start talking to us. But why should he? He was stuck outside in the cold rain, and nothing was going to change about that tonight. I hope that it does change soon for him, but tonight I don’t doubt for a minute that I would be acting the same way. Just walking around for half an hour makes clothes stick to skin, and people grumpy. Imagine having to sit outside in that all night. People don’t want to imagine it because it’s frightening. But it is very, very real.

Hunger and Homelessness Week

This past week was Hunger and Homelessness here at Lesley University, and as a result Lesley Delivers went on three sandwich runs in a row: Tuesday-Thursday. Collectively we had over 30 people come out and participate in the runs. The reason why I didn’t write a blog for each night is because I wanted to be able to speak about the week as a whole and all the things that were done, discussed, and learned.
This week exposed students and staff alike to issues surrounding poverty and the ways we can make a difference and help to end it. We experienced community through the making sandwiches for Lesley Delivers at the Peanut Butter Jam. It combined music, friends (new and old), the mess of peanut butter and jelly, and facts about hunger and homelessness to create an atmosphere for giving. Last night there was a Faces of Homelessness Panel with speakers from the National Coalition for the Homeless. We were given the chance to hear real life stories from people who had been homeless at one point in their lives, or who were still struggling with it. This made it even more real for us when we went out on the sandwich run.
People who had never been on a run before came out and had experiences that made them want to return. As our groups grew, so did the awareness of what Lesley Delivers does. We are making connections. These people who are sitting in the doorways or hiding under blankets in front of a store are just that – people. They are human beings. We met them up close and personal in the panel, we looked into their eyes as we gave them sandwiches. We learned that it doesn’t take much in these times to become poverty stricken or homeless. I know that I have come to the definite realization that no matter what I have done in my life that could still happen to me. Homelessness is real. It is not a myth or something that happens only to those who don’t care about their lives. The two men and the one woman talking in the panel talked about what they lost and they described it like this: Yes, they lost their house and whatever other material things that put them on the streets or in shelters. However, they lost something else as well – their dignity. They became invisible to people walking by. They didn’t get the curtsy of a smile in the morning, a kind word or acknowledgement. They became something that was feared and ignored.
This is not how it should be. Aside from an overarching search for the end of homelessness, we all need to try to bring them back to humanhood. We need to make them feel that connection again. If someone on the street talks to you, says Good Morning, respond. We all hate being ignored, but imagine if that was your life. Day after day of nothing but mothers pulling their children away from you, looks that go through you, and turned heads when you talk in someone’s direction is enough to break anyone. These people are not part of a door frame, nor are they scum that need to be kicked aside. The day we all learn that and extend a hand or a word is the day this problem will begin to end. Bring awareness and a smile with you every day. Wear kindness on your sleeves and hold caring words on your tongue. This is what Hunger and Homelessness Week has given me. What has it given you?

Equality of Giving

On tonight’s run the two groups that went out didn’t really see anyone. This could be a combination of the fact that it is St. Patrick’s Day and that it is one of the first warm nights of the season. We all hope that people found some place safe to stay for the night. Because nothing much happened tonight, I want to take this opportunity to talk about a trip that a group of Lesley Students took over the spring break. We went on Alternative Spring Break and worked with Habitat for Humanity in South Carolina, North Carolina, and New Jersey. I was lucky enough to be on a trip to Spartanburg, South Carolina. There were a few defining moments for me that created a theme for my trip. This theme was the equality in giving.
The first moment was when we were invited to eat lunch at a local soup kitchen. The experience we had was not the one that we were expecting. Instead of standing in line we were led through the back and seated at a special table with flowers. Instead of letting us get our own food, the volunteers brought it to us. We stayed in one group and it was obvious that we were being treated in a special manner. When we talked about it later, a lot of us (myself included) were disappointed about not getting the “real experience”. But then we talked about it more in terms of the community we were let into. We were helping to build a house in their community – we were giving to them. They wanted to find a way to give back and that lunch was their way of doing so.
The second time was when the whole group was in a van, and we were lost. We stopped at a gas station and Anne, our adult leader, got out and asked for directions. The woman she got directions from was one of those people we met who exuded southern hospitality. She even came over to our van and struck up a conversation with Anne. During this conversation, the woman mentioned that she and her kids were hungry but couldn’t get anything to eat. At this point Anne said, “Well, alright. Come on lets get you some food” and hopped out of the van. There was hugging and more kind words exchanged before Anne got back in the van and told us she was going to try not to cry. It is people like Anne that make me believe that there are more people out there who want to help. People who want to make a difference in at least one persons life. This makes me want to push Lesley Delivers to make more of a difference each week.

...Can't Be Choosers? False.

Hey All!
Tonight we had nine people come out and help us make sandwiches and six people go on the run. We love any help, even if you can’t stay for the whole run. Every little bit helps. We split up into two groups; one group didn’t see that many people but the other saw the same large group that was there last week. Both groups had a similar experience with people who asked what kind of sandwiches we had. We always make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sometimes people just don’t like those – and that’s okay. Both groups had people joking about how picky they are. One man said something like “Well they say beggars can’t be choosers… but they can!”. In the large group we saw a few men didn’t want some things that were in the bags but did want others, this is a time where we hand out the bags and hope that whatever they don’t want, their friends will eat. We talked about how some people just don’t want to ask for anything, but they will hope that you see them and just give. It’s about pride (sometimes), which I completely understand. Sometimes we just have to learn how to watch for body language and hope for the best. Until next week – if you are going on Spring Break have a safe and fun one!

Volleyball Run

Hi, I'm Addie and I'm one of the student leaders for Lesley Delivers, and I'm going to share with you my experience with Lesley Delivers this evening...

Tonight we were joined by the women's volleyball team for our sandwich run! We were really excited to be able to share Lesley Delivers with some new faces. The 9 of us split into two groups and at first we had very different trips. My group headed past Au Bon Pain, but we didn't see a single person. I am always so very torn in situations like this- I want to share the experience of Lesley Delivers with new people, and that definitely involves meeting some of the people we usually see; however, I can't help but hope that if I didn't see them tonight, maybe it's because they had a bed to sleep in somewhere.

While we weren't seeing anyone, we were having some great conversations about some of the innate inequalities and unfair aspects of our lives, and especially life in Cambridge. That's when I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. Like a good Lesley Delivers participant (and especially student leader) I was not going to look at it, but something told me to just take a glance. It was Jillian, one of the co-presidents, who was leading the other group. While we don't usually use our phones, this was important because the other group had run into so many people that they were already out of sandwiches, and wanted us to bring any extras that we had.

We headed back to Harvard Square armed with plenty of leftover sandwiches. When we got to the Tannery there were literally 15 people at the bottom of the stairs. Some of them were quite gracious and took sandwiches eagerly, but others were asking for blankets and some other things that we obviously didn't have. As always these situations are difficult for me, I want to take off my own coat and give it to them, or run home and get a blanket, or at the very least had them a $20 bill. But my many experiences with Lesley Delivers have taught me the value of what we are doing- handing out sandwiches. It's not everything, but it's enough that even if I can't give these people everything they ask for, everything they need, or even everything they deserve, I still walk away feeling fulfilled. Well, as fulfilled as possible when there are still people living on the streets.

Anyway, those are my thoughts after tonight's run. I really can't thank the volleyball team enough for their sensitivity and enthusiasm. They asked tons of great questions and I hope I really do see the faces of the people who said they would be back on future trips!

Can't wait for next Tuesday!

Beginning of the Second Semester!

Tonight was our first Lesley Delivers run of the second semester! Because of the snow there were only four of us, however it was still a good run and every little bit helps. Because it was cold we debated whether or not we would see anyone out, we even hoped that we wouldn’t. But we did, and they were all very grateful to be getting a little food that might give them a little warmth. We talked to a man who a lot of us have become familiar with and he told us that he and his wife had been talking about us. They would have conversations about when they thought we would be coming back from break and when they would get to talk to us again. This brought the impact we were making, even if on two people, to light a little for us. Once we did a lap around Harvard Square we gave our extra sandwiches to those we had seen so that they had some more and left a few in a semi-dry spot. As we were walking back we started talking about giving. It seemed that we had all been in some sort of situation where the people we had given to (food, time, etc.) wanted to give back to us. Whether it was a man you had given food to offering you a slice of a free pizza he was given, or a little girl giving a well loved stuffed toy to you because you spent time with her – our question was do you take it? Our answer was this: These people want to give back to you for all that you have done for them, they give what they can. What they don’t understand is that the whole time you have been with them, they have given you so much. They have given you hope and taught you things you maybe hadn’t known before. They made you think about what you would do and what you could to. They give you a smile and the truth. So because they don’t know they have given you all these things, they try to give you something that they can manage. We answered that you should take it, because this way they know that they have given you something. And maybe when they go to sleep that night, they can reflect on what they have done. Maybe even write it down – like we do.