Earlier this week I went to a men’s homeless shelter here in Lexington. My friends and I were given a tour of the facilities and then were able to serve a meal to the center’s clients. Each week, our club makes 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for this shelter and we finally had the opportunity to see where our donations were going.

According to their website, between all of their locations they sleep 800 people each night. At the men’s only location, they serve breakfast and lunch for their clients and then dinner is open for anyone in need. This organization also has several recovery programs as well as services for people who complete their programs.

I had never been to a homeless shelter before so this was an eye opening experience. Our tour guide explained to us that one of the key things she has learned while working for The Hope Center is that these men and women are just people like everyone else. I think sometimes people get caught up in the idea that homeless people aren’t trying to better themselves and that they got themselves in this situation, but in reality anyone can hit a rough patch. Everyone we met at the shelter was working to better him or herself and that was extremely rewarding to see.

However, seeing a room full of bunk beds and a row of lockers that were tiny but large enough to hold all of someone’s possessions was also upsetting. I think we all felt a little guilty because we’re attending a nice school and we have a place to sleep every single night. It’s easy to get caught up in your own life and forget just how lucky you truly are. Still, none of the people we met were particularly negative about their experiences.

We met a young man who had recently gotten out of prison on the terms that he would complete a recovery program. He explained that the program was difficult and that it was testing him, but that he had two children to provide for so he needed to complete it quickly. These people are genuinely working to better themselves and that was rewarding to see.

For me, this experience put a lot in perspective because I know my friends and I are always complaining about homework or the food in the cafeteria. In reality, these problems aren’t even problems at all. We have homework because we are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to school. Our food may get old sometimes because we eat it so often, but at the end of the day we have access to several warm meals and that is even a luxury to some people. It’s important to think about other people’s situations before we complain about our tiny inconveniences.

Surprisingly, the people we met at this shelter were all extremely friendly and didn’t seem disheartened by their current status. In fact, one man said he prefers to sleep outside as opposed to inside the shelter. The visit to this shelter was enlightening but also discouraging. However, I walked away knowing that my problems aren’t as big as they might seem as times and that at the end of the day, we’re all human. Everyone makes mistakes and anyone can get in a tough situation. As long as we continue to work hard and remain positive, we’ll be all right.