My time with the homeless was an experience that taught me many lessons while also giving me some great memories. It was a humbling experience that I will never forget.
I volunteered at Project Homeless Connect which was hosted at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE. Project Homeless Connect Lincoln is a one-day, one-stop event where individuals and families who are homeless are able to receive a wide variety of immediate, on-site services and support for unmet needs, according to the Homeless Coalition's website. I went to this event with my best friend Maggie Sedivy, who invited me on the trip.
“I was prepared to be moved by what I saw that day, and I knew that I needed to spread it (towards others) and I knew you would be interested.”
She was correct. I was interested and I ended up being very touched.
The day started out with us panicking, trying to find a parking spot, and ended with us realizing how small our issues are compared to others.
When we first arrived I was immediately surprised at the sheer amount of people who came to help. I got in line with over a hundred people to receive t shirts that said VOLUNTEER on the back and a name tag. We were instructed to put only our first name, not our last, on the tag, according to the people running the event, so that the homeless didn’t form a connection that wouldn’t be appropriate for what we were doing. I’m sure they said that loud and clear, but my listening skills tend to be turned off anytime before eight in the morning so I put both my first and last name with a heart and had to get a new one to redo it.
After that bump in the road, we went into the immense arena to sit through some instructions before the “guests” arrived. Below us lay several sectioned off areas that had several different purposes. The event offered lunch and snacks, legal and insurance help, medical care, and a daycare so parents can get a small break from watching their kids, all for free. We were instructed on how to help the attendants, what to do in an emergency and how to handle certain situations. The majority of volunteers jobs were to escort guests to different booths and talk with them. Maggie and I ended up helping in a different way.
We sorted clothes. The women who ran the clothes section was such a fun and happy women. The first five minutes there she had a bright green tutu on. I enjoyed her laughter and her giving spirit. She told me how she was retired and decided she wanted to do something more than “sit in her rocking chair.” She has been collecting clothes for a number of years and has been involved with Homeless Connect for five. She inspired me to think of others before myself and always be positive.
Now sorting clothes might not sound like an important job, but you would be surprised how many clothes were there that needed to put out. They had piles of socks, two racks of coats, piles of shirts and jeans. But the majority was kids clothes.
I was surprised by how many kids were there.
When people finally arrived at the clothes section of the event, they took their time. Going through the free clothes that they didn’t have access to a few hours before. They touched the fabrics, feeling the cleanness, the smoothness, the newness. We tried to offer to help them find anything whenever we could. A mother stood out to Maggie and I. Maggie said that the mother seemed touched by the services that were provided for her.
“I remember her optimism with the situation she was in,” Sedivy said. “Even though she obviously had children she was taking care of.”
The women picked out several new clothes for her two small children, and the one on the way.
There was a man who was hesitant to take anything for himself. The tutu women made sure he took at least one item with him. He tentatively walked through the area not sure what to grab, keeping to himself. I wondered what caused his quiet demeanor. The very nature of who he is, or a consequence of a life on the streets?
There were too many people there to talk to all of them, but I can’t imagine their stories. There were veterans, children, parents. People who looked like bikers, hippies, college students. People of every race and background. So much diversity. So many people.
When the day was over we went outside and walked downtown reflecting on our day. The first thing Maggie said to me was that she hadn’t realized how many blessings she had in her life. We didn’t appreciate what we had until we saw what others don’t have. A warm bed, nice clothes, running water, food.
A home.
