I have searched and searched for the words to write here. Most people, knowing me, would be shocked to know that I am at a loss for them. Being a part of Lesley Delivers for the past three years has been one of the best experiences of my college career. It gave me a chance to grow and learn as a leader, and it gave me a chance to teach others. But most of all, it opened my eyes. I am grateful for Jill Schreider for starting this organization and for believing in me enough to give me a leadership position. I didn’t believe in myself then, and I remember stumbling over the guidelines every time I read them before we made sandwiches. I also remember being scared to approach people to give them the sandwiches. But I had a great mentor, and she showed me that there was nothing to be scared of, in fact, these were the people I ended up learning a lot of the life lessons I have from. Lesley Delivers gave me my passion. The people who came on the runs and the people we served gave me tested me and gave me strength. There is nothing I can say to explain how much this organization means to me. Nothing.
Last night was my last sandwich run, and I want to thank everyone who made it amazing – everyone who has supported me through my LD journey. It means the world. Seeing all the faces of people who are passionate about what we do and who I love made the night that much more special. I want to thank two people in particular who went through the trouble of getting everyone together and making the night as special as it was for me.
Lesley Delivers’ new Co-Presidents: Elissa May and Ashley Wedekind.
This is my way of passing off the torch – and I can’t think of two better people. They are both incredibly strong leaders and amazingly caring people. Their passion for LD and for making it better is inspiring. I am confident that they will take it and make it the best it has ever been – and bring a new amount of awareness to campus. I am beyond proud of them and I know that, as I step down and they step up, they will flourish.
Therefore, although I am leaving, I want everyone to look forward to the future of Lesley Delivers because it is a bright one. And I can’t wait to hear about everything that is happening with it.
Thank you all for making this the most amazing experience for me. I am truly humbled and grateful.
-Lyndsey
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Walk for Hunger
This past weekend, there was a group of Lesley students that took part in Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger. This group was put together by four LU student organizations. Lesley Delivers, Strides, Students for Social Justice, and Local Acts of Fun. The Walk for Hunger is a 20 mile walk around the Boston area starting at Boston Commons. This year, the walk “raised $3.6 million to provide food for 448 emergency food programs in 130 Massachusetts cities and towns”*. I am proud to say that Lesley University students contributed to that. I am also very proud of the leaders of this trip who worked so hard to make this happen. They didn’t have much time to fundraise or pull a lot of people for sign ins, and yet they managed to get 20 people to walk and $285 raised. I can see the passion in them for this issue and they do their best every day to make a difference – and they are.
During the walk, we say many signs, and many people who inspired us. There was one woman who had done over 20 of these walks and wore it proudly on her shirt. There were people holding signs by the Charles River reminding the walkers that people weren’t just hungry during that day, they were hungry everyday – and that what we were doing was only a portion of what we could be to help. As I walked through the lunch area, I heard people talking to each other about what they do to combat hunger on a daily basis. And to me, that is what this walk was for. To remind people that there are ways to help, there are things to be done to end hunger. To end homelessness. That’s why I am so happy that Lesley Delivers exists on campus, for people who were inspired by the walk or by a family in Harvard Square holding a sign saying they are hungry.
Even though more than a few of us came away with aches and sunburns, it was all worth it. Because none of those pains even compare to what we were walking for. If I opened the eyes of one person while doing this, all of it is worth it.
I’m going to leave you with words from the sign that caught my attention and will stay with me for a long time. Because it was made by a stranger, to inspire other strangers. “You’re going to make it after all.”
* For more information about Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger go to their website:
www.projectbread.org
During the walk, we say many signs, and many people who inspired us. There was one woman who had done over 20 of these walks and wore it proudly on her shirt. There were people holding signs by the Charles River reminding the walkers that people weren’t just hungry during that day, they were hungry everyday – and that what we were doing was only a portion of what we could be to help. As I walked through the lunch area, I heard people talking to each other about what they do to combat hunger on a daily basis. And to me, that is what this walk was for. To remind people that there are ways to help, there are things to be done to end hunger. To end homelessness. That’s why I am so happy that Lesley Delivers exists on campus, for people who were inspired by the walk or by a family in Harvard Square holding a sign saying they are hungry.
Even though more than a few of us came away with aches and sunburns, it was all worth it. Because none of those pains even compare to what we were walking for. If I opened the eyes of one person while doing this, all of it is worth it.
I’m going to leave you with words from the sign that caught my attention and will stay with me for a long time. Because it was made by a stranger, to inspire other strangers. “You’re going to make it after all.”
* For more information about Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger go to their website:
www.projectbread.org
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Our Society
Tonight was the 3rd consecutive night of Lesley Delivers as a part of Hunger & Homelessness week. We’ve had an impressive attendance count this week and it is really exciting to see so many students expressing interest in the club’s mission. The energy levels have been high, and it is clear that the impact of the experiences this week has been strong.
Last night, two groups set out in Harvard Square with 30 sandwiches to deliver. The run itself, while effective and eye-opening for most, was not anything out of the ordinary- that is, until the end of the run, as both groups witnessed an event as they made their way to the meeting spot. A gentleman who was standing outside of a store with a change-cup was being openly and publicly scolded by a police officer to leave the area. In a tone that was called “aggressive” and “scary” by multiple students in the group, the police officer did not seem to show any signs of sympathy for this individual, and was not concerned that he may have been humiliating him.
As I saw the event unfold, I had the impulse to express to the officer that what he was doing was not necessary; I, along with the rest of my group, was not bothered by the presence of this man. There was such a contrast at that point: the officer, concerned with getting this man to go away because he believed that the community and store owners would not want him there, and a group of students, on a mission to help the same individual by giving him a meal. If the police officer was scolding him for our sake, he was not helping us in any way. Why did we have more of a right to be present in the area than this man? We didn’t do anything to earn this right. It seemed so incredible that the officer, an individual who serves the community and is cognizant of the rights of citizens, can treat another citizen with such hostility. Wasn’t it clear to him that there may have not been another safe place for this person to go?
What is clear to me now is that the police officer was probably helping others in the community by doing this. The store probably enacted a “no loitering” policy which the police officers are expected to enforce. The man asking for change was probably hindering business at the store because people in the community were not entering the store when he was there. The problem is not with the police officer; the problem is that in our society, not everyone views the man who is homeless as just another citizen. They view him as dangerous, scary, as someone who they would want to avoid if they can when going shopping in the square. It is not right to be angry at the police officer in this situation, but to be impassioned to change the system. Eyes need to be opened that “homeless” is not synonymous with “drug addicted,” “a thief,” or “violent.” Because of the stigma in our society, homeless is not seen for what it really is. Individuals are blamed and misunderstood. Help is not given. In addition to delivering sandwiches, we need to deliver empathy and understanding so that our community realizes that we are all humans first, and deserve the right to be treated as such.
-Elissa
Last night, two groups set out in Harvard Square with 30 sandwiches to deliver. The run itself, while effective and eye-opening for most, was not anything out of the ordinary- that is, until the end of the run, as both groups witnessed an event as they made their way to the meeting spot. A gentleman who was standing outside of a store with a change-cup was being openly and publicly scolded by a police officer to leave the area. In a tone that was called “aggressive” and “scary” by multiple students in the group, the police officer did not seem to show any signs of sympathy for this individual, and was not concerned that he may have been humiliating him.
As I saw the event unfold, I had the impulse to express to the officer that what he was doing was not necessary; I, along with the rest of my group, was not bothered by the presence of this man. There was such a contrast at that point: the officer, concerned with getting this man to go away because he believed that the community and store owners would not want him there, and a group of students, on a mission to help the same individual by giving him a meal. If the police officer was scolding him for our sake, he was not helping us in any way. Why did we have more of a right to be present in the area than this man? We didn’t do anything to earn this right. It seemed so incredible that the officer, an individual who serves the community and is cognizant of the rights of citizens, can treat another citizen with such hostility. Wasn’t it clear to him that there may have not been another safe place for this person to go?
What is clear to me now is that the police officer was probably helping others in the community by doing this. The store probably enacted a “no loitering” policy which the police officers are expected to enforce. The man asking for change was probably hindering business at the store because people in the community were not entering the store when he was there. The problem is not with the police officer; the problem is that in our society, not everyone views the man who is homeless as just another citizen. They view him as dangerous, scary, as someone who they would want to avoid if they can when going shopping in the square. It is not right to be angry at the police officer in this situation, but to be impassioned to change the system. Eyes need to be opened that “homeless” is not synonymous with “drug addicted,” “a thief,” or “violent.” Because of the stigma in our society, homeless is not seen for what it really is. Individuals are blamed and misunderstood. Help is not given. In addition to delivering sandwiches, we need to deliver empathy and understanding so that our community realizes that we are all humans first, and deserve the right to be treated as such.
-Elissa
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Welcome Ashley!
Last week, was our first run of the semester and we did another this past Tuesday. Both nights, there weren’t large numbers of people, but there were enough to effect the new people we had in our groups. This week we welcomed a new member to our leader ship team – Ashley! She will be our Treasurer and help lead groups when we are in Harvard Square. We are very excited that she is part of the Lesley Delivers team!
Although it was very cold the past two weeks, we did see some people and we got a chance to talk to them. The different ways people chose to keep warm struck many people in our group. A couple sharing a sleeping bag prompted the “What if that were me” question, and although it was not brought up in debrief, I know that many of our members think about that. It has been a topic of this blog many a time – and I think that is one of the many reasons why people continue to come out with us.
On that same trip, we can across a man who wouldn’t take a sandwich because he already had some food that he was saving. He didn’t want to “waste” what we were giving him. We talked later about how that action (which we have also come across multiple times) proves the existence of a community among the people who stay on the streets. There are some that get more than others, and they always direct us to the ones that have less. They know that some have no food, while they might have an extra granola bar so they have us find those without. It brings us comfort to know that they are helping each other in these times of need.
Although it was very cold the past two weeks, we did see some people and we got a chance to talk to them. The different ways people chose to keep warm struck many people in our group. A couple sharing a sleeping bag prompted the “What if that were me” question, and although it was not brought up in debrief, I know that many of our members think about that. It has been a topic of this blog many a time – and I think that is one of the many reasons why people continue to come out with us.
On that same trip, we can across a man who wouldn’t take a sandwich because he already had some food that he was saving. He didn’t want to “waste” what we were giving him. We talked later about how that action (which we have also come across multiple times) proves the existence of a community among the people who stay on the streets. There are some that get more than others, and they always direct us to the ones that have less. They know that some have no food, while they might have an extra granola bar so they have us find those without. It brings us comfort to know that they are helping each other in these times of need.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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
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
Monday, December 13, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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
-Elissa
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