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!