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!