Thursday, February 23, 2012

Gratitude

Oprah Winfrey once said "If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough".
I believe this quote is something that needs to be taken to heart to more people in the world. Lesley Delivers gives me that awareness every week when we go out. It should never be about what we don't have, but being grateful for what we do! This week we had a rather small group, and on the route I took we didn't run into many people, which is always something to be happy about. I always hope that if we don't see anyone then they are somewhere much safer than on the streets. After we had done our route, we went over to the pit to see if we could give out our extra sandwiches. We came across a large group of young people who were all wrapped up in blankets, huddling under an overhang trying not to get wet. We gave out a lot of our extra sandwiches, as well as lots of socks. What really has stuck with me is one of the boys. He came up to us and said, "I'm Robo the Hobo, I like to drink Robitussin and wander the streets." Being part of Lesley Delivers, it's not our place to judge or pity, but it just really made me wonder what had happened for him to get to this point. He must have only been a little older than me, and that's what really struck home for me. He wasn't sad or angry, he didn't seem like he was mad at his situation at all. He was extremely friendly, and when we were giving him socks he just kept saying how we made him very happy, and that we were his friends, and he was grateful for what we have given him. He wasn't focusing on what he didn't have, but rather the things that he did have, and the things that we could give to him. It really makes me wonder if everything was taken away from me, would I be content with what I had, or would I be bitter about what I didn't? Ever since I started coming to Lesley Delivers, I've learned to be more and more grateful for what I have, rather than what I don't.

Thank you to all of you who came out last week, and can't wait to see your beautiful faces next week !

-Brianna

Saturday, February 18, 2012

An Educational Encounter

Last Tuesday night our small Lesley Delivers group had an “interesting” encounter. We had offered a sandwich, coat and socks to a man who seemed new to the Harvard Square area. Upon acceptance of these items, he began to have a conversation with us. The conversation brought up some very interesting social concerns. He began the conversation discussing how the food at shelters was decreasing in quality but the decrease was masked by the vegetarian option. He brought up the point that when someone is homeless, he or she does not have the luxury to be vegetarian. One thing that he mentioned was that “no mental illnesses have ever been proven”. During reflection we discussed that he said this because he may had been dealing with mental illness. Mental illness is a controversial topic when discussing the homeless. Researchers have proven a correlation between mental illness and homelessness, but none have discovered which causes which. The homeless may be homeless because of mental illness; however, homelessness is a traumatic experience that may cause mental illness.

As he began to speak more, we became a little more concerned. He stated “did you know that you can get charged for third degree sexual assault by just looking at a young woman?” We questioned his motivation for saying this. A few members felt unnerved by this. He started to talk about how the people who work at the shelters were against the homeless and would get them arrested for no reason. He said that he had been convicted a couple times before. When one of the members of our group apologized, he responded with “would you say sorry to starving children in Africa?” On that note we decided to leave. This was a sticky situation for us. As members of Lesley Delivers we try to be as nonjudgmental as possible; however, we also need to be concerned for our safety. It is hard to balance this at Lesley Delivers but this is the main reason why we stay in groups and stay on well-lit routes. Overall it was a very educational experience to have it reminded us of the wide range of perspectives that exist.

~Claire

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Welcome Back!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out last night on the first run of spring semester! I know it was a bit chilly, but we really helped a lot of people out. To start off, I'd like to introduce myself as the new co-president of Lesley Delivers, as Emay is in South Africa! I am looking forward to the responsibilities coming my way over the semester, and will do everything in my power to keep things running smoothly :)

Last night, we had a group of 21 students who joined us, which is quite a few! We split up into two groups, and I took my group over to the pit. Approaching the pit, I was immediately aware of the commotion: a group of people (who we have seen around before) were playing baseball with a large traffic cone and a milk crate. Yes, a milk crate. To avoid any injuries, we passed them in hopes that they would be done when we came back. We continued with the normal route, though we didn't see anyone else. On our way back to the pit, the group had moved on to throwing a concrete ring around the cone. Me and a few of the other people in my group approached them, offering sandwiches and coats. They were all so incredibly grateful, and that's what gets me every time. Though they were being loud and rambunctious, they still very much appreciated us giving them food and jackets. And that's the reason why I do Lesley Delivers. The fact that we can make someone's night by giving them a smile and a sandwich really makes me feel so wonderful. I know that the rest of the semester, as well as my two remaining years, will be just as fulfilling every time I go out there.

I just want to thank everyone again for coming out last night. You made my first run as co-president a wonderful one, and I hope to see you again soon! Ashley and I have big plans for where Lesley Delivers is going, in collaboration and events. We will definitely keep you updated with everything we have in mind, and hope you join us again!

~Theresa