3. My Experience With Project Homeless Connect.
*names in italics indicated name changed for privacy
Back in October 2019, I volunteered at Project Homeless Connect and to say it had an impact on me would be an understatement. It changed my life. Not only was I absolutely blown away by the people I met and the stories I heard, but knowing that I had even a small part in helping out these more than deserving people, made me feel like I was doing okay.
How it works:
-the community members line up outside the Marquette Weasler auditorium which is where they register for the day
-during this registration is where they work with someone from United Way to fill out a screening sheet to list their top 3 priorities for what they need that day
-Once they’ve completed their screening, they get matched with a volunteer, and the volunteer takes them around the AMU and takes them first to the stations they’ve indicated as most important, and then, if they want to, to any other stations they may want to go to
-Midway through the day, lunch is served in the AMU cafeteria and volunteers are encouraged to escort their guest to lunch if they decide they want to stay for a meal
-Finally, before they leave they are encouraged to take a brief survey about their day and what was beyond unsettling to me was the final question on the survey- “were you treated with dignity today?” What twisted world do we live in where that isn’t a guarantee for every person?
* * *
If there’s one thing I learned this day, it’s that everyone has a story but not everyone gets the chance to tell it. I spent a good portion of my day with a guest named Mary. And Mary was amazing. Initially, she was a tad shy around me, and I had to do a lot of the talking, but that was no big deal. Eventually, she started to warm up to me and it was then that I realized that she a lot to say but, from what I could tell, was never in a position where she was asked about herself. As we were approaching the cafeteria, we both expressed how we were hungry and I said, “I’m not sure what’s on the menu today!” and she responded “I don’t care. I’m just happy to eat.” Instantly I felt 1. Dumb for saying that 2. Immediately humbled because no matter what, I always know where my next meal is coming from and that I have a guarantee of eating when I’m hungry.
After we sat down to lunch, I decided to ask her about her family and it was at this moment I realized she was dying to talk about her daughter. Mary told me all about her daughter and how she lives in London and how she met a nice man that she wants to marry. She also told me a little about her job and how she’s grateful that she has it, but it just isn’t enough to comfortably sustain her and her teenaged son. In our short half hour lunch, I learned so much about Mary and felt so lucky to know her. After lunch she had to run because she had to go to work and we were definitely both teary-eyed as we hugged and said our goodbyes. I will never forget Mary and what she was able to teach me without even knowing it.
* * *
There was one story I heard this day that shook me to my core. I was told this story from a friend of mine also volunteering, it was an interaction she had with her guest. He told her how he has a degree in economics and how he used to have a great job; then, when the economy crashed in 2008 and he lost his job, he also lost his home and had to sell many of his possessions to stay afloat. And, ever since then, he just hasn’t been able to get back on his feet because it seems like the world is against him.
This was a common theme I heard throughout the day. Some of these people had a degree, a family and a job; yet, what sets them apart from people like you and me is the hand they were dealt. And this is something that absolutely drives me insane; when entitled and ignorant people assume that people in this situation are here by some choice. The assumption is almost always that people experiencing homelessness and poverty are addicts or uneducated or just screw-ups and 9 times out of 10, they are none of the above. Many of them have just fallen victim to the injustices in this city, particularly for minorities. With that said, why is the assumption that the entire homeless population is Black? During my time at PHC I saw people of all ages, colors and backgrounds there. We need to end to this stigma around people experiencing homelessness and poverty and we need to start emphasizing the fact that no one is there by choice and no one deserves to be in that situation. Plus, I think that it would be beneficial for people with privilege to share their resources with the people who need them the most. This can be as small as donating clothing to a homeless shelter or women’s facility, or as grand as making a monetary donation to a foundation like United Way that actively works to combat these injustices. And this isn’t to say that people with privilege are the answer to these peoples prayers, and by no means does this make us better than them, but it is crucial that we step outside of our bubble and recognize the injustices happening in our own city.
* * *
During the second half of the day, I was working in the hygiene room where we were handing out cold packs, first aid kits, toiletries and other things of that nature. At my station, I was handing out feminine hygiene products. Throughout my time at that station, many of the men that came in gave me a chuckle or were just straight up uncomfortable by what I was handing out and quickly passed me by. The women that came by my station were so grateful and couldn’t thank me enough for giving them what they needed. A little later on in the afternoon, a man was approaching my station and I held up what I had and jokingly said, “I don’t know if you can use what I have!” as all the men before him become squeamish at the sight of a tampon. However, this man in particular stopped and said, “no actually, may I please have some?” and I responded, “oh, really? Uh yea sure!” and he said, “thank you. I always like to get these when I can so that my friends can never be without what they need.” My interaction with this man was one that I will never forget. In that room, he could’ve taken anything, yet, he decided to take something that was virtually useless to him, just to give to others.
This is another thing about the people I met that day that astonished me, they are some of the most selfless people I have ever encountered. Even in the clothing room, I saw people helping each other out and making trades. How is it that the people who have next to nothing have the most to give? Think about it. If I were that man, or any man for that matter, I wouldn’t think twice about picking up feminine hygiene products because they would be useless to me. This brief, minute-long, interaction taught me more than any professor or textbook ever could because what that man showed me was what it means to be truly selfless and compassionate. We are taught these things from a young age, but it isn’t until you see it that you can fully understand it.
* * *
Finally, one of my favorite things to come of this day was meeting a beautiful little girl named Jasmine. Jasmine’s mother was one of the last people to come through PHC and her only destination was the clothing bank. At this point, we had begun to pack up a few things, but encouraged her to take her time as Jasmine played in the empty boxes. Jasmine was two and a half, and one of the most precious little girls I have ever seen. Immediately upon seeing her, and all the other kids I encountered that day, my heart broke. They were born into a situation that automatically puts them at a disadvantage and sets them up for 10 times more hurdles as their more privileged peers. It pains me to know that, statistically speaking, many of those children won’t make it to college and may not even graduate high school simply because of something that they cannot control.
As Jasmine’s mother was looking around at all of the clothing, I could tell she was getting embarrassed and flustered because Jasmine was running around and blowing off steam. Of course, us volunteers loved her, as she brightened up our day exponentially with her little smile and bright eyes. Eventually, we made Jasmine her own “roller coaster” of sorts, aka, we put her in an empty box and pushed her all around the room to get her wiggles and giggles out as her mother looked around. Her mother was very grateful for us entertaining Jasmine and said she wished she could have us come to her house and play with her, but that she wouldn’t be able to pay us. Though this was said lightheartedly and jokingly, it still struck a nerve within me. Either way, Jasmine was way too cute that I would play with her any time! As some of us volunteers were playing with Jasmine, she became attached to me. As soon as we would stop pushing her in her “roller coaster” she would reach her arms up to me so that I would hold her. Eventually, when it was time for them to leave, Jasmine wouldn’t let go of me. Whenever her mom tried to tell her they had to go, her little arms clung to me a little tighter and she squeezed me as hard as she could. It was in this moment I understood that this would be the worst part of my day, saying goodbye to her. Finally, they had to go and just like that, there went the little princess. I still think about Jasmine and her mom from time to time, her mom was so kind and gentle and that reflected in her beautiful baby girl. I can only hope and pray that Jasmine gets to live a bright and fulfilled life like she deserves.
