The Value of Conversation
Everyone has a family, loved ones, and a story to tell. I used to naively believe that there was no way to help homeless people unless you were giving them money. However, Miracle Messages taught me that there are more ways to aid people in need rather than just handing over a couple dollar bills. As a service that reconnects homeless individuals to their disconnected loved ones, Miracle Messages brings hope to homeless individuals and changes their lives.
When I first started training with Miracle Messages, I thought the work I was going to do would be easy. I thought finding someone through the use of advanced technology and public information would be simple, just like finding a mutual friend on social media. Watching the Miracle Messages training videos sparked ambition and created excitement for my first encounter with a client. I genuinely believed that my work would connect many homeless individuals to their loved ones, leading to a lifestyle with secure housing.
I took public transportation to The Source events, which is where I recorded cases to research and solve. I had not started my Miracle Messages partnership before this, but the exposure to Los Angeles neighborhoods made me feel more comfortable and at ease entering my volunteering. Although I was now more knowledgeable about the community, a rush of nervousness overcame me when my first client stepped towards the Miracle Messages booth. What would I talk to her about? What if she didn’t want to share her experiences with me? After easing into the conversation, I learned that if I am respectful and open to listening to my clients, they are more than willing to share their stories.
My view of homelessness drastically changed when a woman revealed that she had started her morning by waking up in the back of a car. She said this nonchalantly, even though she had no idea of her location or how she got there. She did not get help or an explanation for the alarming instance. This made me realize that she lacked support from those around her. Since she had no one to turn to, she did not pursue assistance after this dangerous situation. Homeless individuals are abandoned and left on the streets to fend for themselves, but they are human too. They should not be forced to live on the streets while others have the comfort of a roof over their heads.
As I volunteered at Miracle Messages more frequently, I learned that my initial beliefs about the process were not healthy for my mindset. When I searched for my first client’s loved one, tens of thousands of results appeared. I was shocked but also stressed just by looking at all the information on the website. I filtered by city, then age, and found the results to be more manageable. When I believed I had found the right person, I was excited but also scared to call the phone number. Once I mustered up the courage to call, there was a disconnected number tone on the other side, rather than the voice of my client’s loved one. Then, I began to try other numbers listed on the website. Time and time again, it would be a wrong number. After calling countless people, I wanted to stop working on the case, but I couldn’t. Remembering the face of the client who was so worried about their loved one pushes me to keep searching, for the possibility that my client’s story becomes a successful reconnection.
Although it can be discouraging to hear so many voicemails and disconnected tones, speaking to the clients at The Source events make up for it. No matter how hopeless I feel about a certain project, meeting more clients reestablishes my motivation. Something about talking to an actual person, face to face, makes my work feel real, rather than just searching for a match for a name on a piece of paper. Listening to everything my client has endured following their loss of stable housing gives me more motivation to search harder for a lost loved one.
The Miracle Messages referral form is intended to collect the needed information to find a loved one as well as a guide of conversation between volunteers and clients. However, when I step away from strictly answering the questions on the sheet, I find myself having a meaningful connection to someone with an interesting story. The focus of our chat is no longer about the blank spaces on the page, but rather about memories and experiences that were previously forgotten. I understand that their loved one may not be easy to find, but I still dedicate all my effort and keep my hopes high for the best.
So, what’s the purpose of Miracle Messages if reconnection isn’t guaranteed? Miracle Messages teaches us to recognize our neighbors who are living on the streets. Instead of walking by them silently, show acknowledgement and compassion. Regardless of the situation they are going through, they have families, friends, and feelings that they experience daily. Even if you cannot find their loved ones after constant searching, you still provide them with the opportunity to converse with mutual respect. Miracle Messages is not only about reconnecting homeless individuals to their loved ones, but also about utilizing conversation, connections, and friendships to challenge stereotypes associated with those living on the streets. This is what I was previously unaware of: a personal connection to a stranger is difficult to give but also more valuable than a dollar in passing.
