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.