By Elissa
A small group of us went into Harvard Square tonight. Upon reaching the “pit,” we realized there were far more people than we had sandwiches, and every person we offered a sandwich to accepted it. Many of the people in this area were young, no older than us in some cases. They were thankful for what sandwiches we did have, and even though they were outside on a cold night, they were in good spirits. They were friendly and even joked around with us a bit as we said goodbye. It makes me think about how many times a day I wish I was doing something else, or complain about very trivial inconveniences throughout my day. Just one hour earlier, before the run, I had very casually complained about the work I had for class. It wasn’t until I handed a PB&J to someone in the pit that I realized what I had done. In the big scheme of things, most of the people we witnessed tonight are in far more dire situations than I have ever been in. To be without a home is to be without the feeling of security we rely on, but take for granted, everyday. To not have a warm bed to sleep in at night is to not be able to put one day to rest and start anew the next morning. The constant stress of not having a home does not go away at night and return in the morning. It is not something they can forget for a little while, like we may forget about an assignment that is stressing us out or a rocky friendship. It is something that they must always be aware of. To have this kind of trouble but still be able to say “Thanks! You have a good night, too,” with a smile on their faces is something I can’t even fathom. Although I don’t know the precise circumstances of the people we gave sandwiches to tonight, whether they are homeless or not, to even have to accept a sandwich or meal from a stranger because other means of eating aren’t available is troublesome in itself, and very scary for some college students to imagine. The fact that I am in college an am earning an education is reason in itself to think carefully before I complain about something I have to do. The lesson I learn time and time again, and have to continually remind myself of, is that the things I have and the opportunities available to me are privileges, and to forget how special they are is to take life for granted.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A Blog That's a Long Time Coming
A smile is something we all take for granted. It is an act between two human beings that makes us feel like we mean something on this earth. Given this definition, it is hard to think about going a day or longer without smiling. You might shrug and say that it doesn’t really matter to you either way, but try going a day without getting smiled at or smiling at anyone. It might be harder than you think. This is something we touched on last night at our debrief after our run. I know there have been blogs about how the people we serve are, in fact, people. I know we have written about how we need to try to make them actually feel like people. But honestly, it is worth repeating. We all have luxuries that we don’t think of as such. We have people we talk to on a daily basis, we have people we can lean on (whether they be friends, family, or a combination of both), and we all receive at least one hug and more smiles than we can count in a day. What if all of that went away? What if you didn’t have someone to get a hug from when you are upset, or to tell you everything is going to be okay?
The people we serve have talked to us, we’ve read their signs, we’ve handed them a simple paper bag with very basic food in them. But unfortunately, that might be the most interaction they get all day. Elissa, one of the leaders, told us about a sign she saw that one man was holding that said something to the effect of “please just smile”. That simple act, that one muscle movement, will give them a little bit of hope. Someone noticed them. Someone acknowledged that they are there, that they are human.
So please. Just smile.
The people we serve have talked to us, we’ve read their signs, we’ve handed them a simple paper bag with very basic food in them. But unfortunately, that might be the most interaction they get all day. Elissa, one of the leaders, told us about a sign she saw that one man was holding that said something to the effect of “please just smile”. That simple act, that one muscle movement, will give them a little bit of hope. Someone noticed them. Someone acknowledged that they are there, that they are human.
So please. Just smile.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
"How are you going to change the world?"
This was written by Elissa May, one of the leaders and the secretary of Lesley Delivers. She and Merrie Rothstein led the run tonight.
Tonight was an interesting night for both groups on the sandwich runs. A lot of communication was made between the students and the people in Harvard Square, which opened our eyes to things that we may not see from day to day. In one instance, a man that accepted a sandwich wanted to know more about our plans for the future, and responded to our goals of becoming Human Service workers and teachers in ways we did not expect. From seeing the lack of change that has occurred throughout the years in society and the social issues involving homelessness and poverty that are still very much prevalent in any community, this man had grown pessimistic about the future. He challenged us in ways we are not used to, asking us questions like, “How are you going to change the world?” This experience left us all a little unsure of ourselves and our futures, but it was a wake up call in the sense that it made us reflect on what we wanted to do for the world, and how in just a few short years of college, it will be our time to make our change.
After every sandwich run, it’s important to reflect on how we could improve our action and what could make our work a little more meaningful. The group has a lot of ideas of ways we can cater more to the needs of the people we serve, and provide them with different meals other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We sometimes receive responses to the PB&J sandwiches that suggest that the population would prefer something different, such as a ham and cheese sandwich, or something with less sugar. This is feedback that is useful for us to alter and change our program to make it the most useful and beneficial to those we serve. It is our hope that with some planning and reexamining of the club’s process, we can create changes that help us to make the most positive impact in our community.
Tonight was an interesting night for both groups on the sandwich runs. A lot of communication was made between the students and the people in Harvard Square, which opened our eyes to things that we may not see from day to day. In one instance, a man that accepted a sandwich wanted to know more about our plans for the future, and responded to our goals of becoming Human Service workers and teachers in ways we did not expect. From seeing the lack of change that has occurred throughout the years in society and the social issues involving homelessness and poverty that are still very much prevalent in any community, this man had grown pessimistic about the future. He challenged us in ways we are not used to, asking us questions like, “How are you going to change the world?” This experience left us all a little unsure of ourselves and our futures, but it was a wake up call in the sense that it made us reflect on what we wanted to do for the world, and how in just a few short years of college, it will be our time to make our change.
After every sandwich run, it’s important to reflect on how we could improve our action and what could make our work a little more meaningful. The group has a lot of ideas of ways we can cater more to the needs of the people we serve, and provide them with different meals other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We sometimes receive responses to the PB&J sandwiches that suggest that the population would prefer something different, such as a ham and cheese sandwich, or something with less sugar. This is feedback that is useful for us to alter and change our program to make it the most useful and beneficial to those we serve. It is our hope that with some planning and reexamining of the club’s process, we can create changes that help us to make the most positive impact in our community.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
We're Back!!
Lesley Delivers has started up again! Last week we had our first successful run of the year, with 15 people going out to help make and deliver sandwiches. We had so many new people it was wonderful. We saw many people in Harvard Square we had never seen before, and they were all completely kind and thankful for what we were doing. The experience affected some of the new people in different ways. Some got very emotional as they really saw, for the first time, the faces of hunger and homelessness. Some shared hugs with some of the people receiving sandwiches. In our debrief we talked about how everyone felt, and everyone agreed that they had gained something from what they had just done. Watching some of the freshmen talking about how they had never realized how personal it could be and how they wanted to do it again reminded me why I started doing this in the first place. This is all about connection. You get something every time you serve. You make a connection with another human being, someone who could be just like you only took a different path in life. You gain a better understanding of life through doing things like Lesley Delivers, and I truly hope that as the year goes on we have more runs like our first of the year.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Last Run before Summer
This past week we had our last Lesley Delivers run of the semester. We did make it more fun and informative by adding a Sleep Out in the quad. First we all came together and made sandwich bags for the run. We had a larger group this time, therefore we were able to split up into three groups. The run went smoothly and we saw a lot of people out. There were new people in the run that got to experience interacting with the people in Harvard Sq. for the first time. Someone had said that this was a great experience for her because normally after she gets out of work she feels unsafe walking alone because of the stereotypes of what it means to be hungry and/or homeless. She said that because she came on the run that she was able to see them as people and not something that society projects on to them.
After the run we all came back and got ready for a night on the quad. We had blankets on the ground and we had sleeping bags. We wanted to experience a night of being without the basics of a bed and a roof. We also wanted to create awareness within the community. We had signs up so that whenever someone walked by while we were sleeping they would know what we were doing. It made a point that no matter what your age or situation, you could still be hit by homelessness and/or hunger. As we go into the summer and the next semester of school in the fall, we need to remember that. So next time you pass someone by on the street, smile. Acknowledge the fact that we are all human and that every human needs contact. Try and be that little bit of light that can get someone through the day.
After the run we all came back and got ready for a night on the quad. We had blankets on the ground and we had sleeping bags. We wanted to experience a night of being without the basics of a bed and a roof. We also wanted to create awareness within the community. We had signs up so that whenever someone walked by while we were sleeping they would know what we were doing. It made a point that no matter what your age or situation, you could still be hit by homelessness and/or hunger. As we go into the summer and the next semester of school in the fall, we need to remember that. So next time you pass someone by on the street, smile. Acknowledge the fact that we are all human and that every human needs contact. Try and be that little bit of light that can get someone through the day.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Stereotypes
This past week we had a run that was very eventful. We had a big group that came out, which means more and more people are hearing about us and want to get involved!
The main thing that happened that night occurred at the Tannery. Two different groups went there at separate times, and both noticed the police presence. The first group went down and began to talk with the men there. However, an argument broke out between them and they weren’t really paying attention to the group. The argument was about one of the men who was very obviously intoxicated and was trying to push alcohol on others. The men who usually stayed at the Tannery didn’t want him there because he was attracting attention and making them look bad. By the time the group left, a police officer had come over. The second group saw much of the same thing when they went.
We talked about this in the debrief. It was a way of seeing the stereotypes of what it means to be homeless or hungry broken a little. Just because there was one man who was acting in that way, doesn’t mean the others are. In fact, he was shunned by all of the people around him. There is a community there, and they don’t want someone coming in and making their community into something that is negative. They just want to live their lives the best way they can. And the one thing that stuck with me was, even amid the fighting over this man, we still got thank yous and felt the gratitude from the people who did take the sandwiches. We all need to remember to look at people has human beings, not as what society tells us they are supposed to be.
The main thing that happened that night occurred at the Tannery. Two different groups went there at separate times, and both noticed the police presence. The first group went down and began to talk with the men there. However, an argument broke out between them and they weren’t really paying attention to the group. The argument was about one of the men who was very obviously intoxicated and was trying to push alcohol on others. The men who usually stayed at the Tannery didn’t want him there because he was attracting attention and making them look bad. By the time the group left, a police officer had come over. The second group saw much of the same thing when they went.
We talked about this in the debrief. It was a way of seeing the stereotypes of what it means to be homeless or hungry broken a little. Just because there was one man who was acting in that way, doesn’t mean the others are. In fact, he was shunned by all of the people around him. There is a community there, and they don’t want someone coming in and making their community into something that is negative. They just want to live their lives the best way they can. And the one thing that stuck with me was, even amid the fighting over this man, we still got thank yous and felt the gratitude from the people who did take the sandwiches. We all need to remember to look at people has human beings, not as what society tells us they are supposed to be.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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.
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.
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