Our trip to Washington DC has completely opened my eyes to the multifaceted challenges that are homelessness and hunger and ways young adults like us can help.
On our first day of service, we were sent to Thrive DC, a kitchen that prepares and serves food for a loyal and unfortunately growing number of individuals. After serving salad during brunch and speaking with some of the, I was grateful for first interaction with the homeless community of DC. A few blocks away from Thrive, we visited Open Doors Women's Shelter. Because the shelter encourages its residents to explore employment opportunities during the day, we helped clean for their nighttime routines. The next day we visited Food and Friends, an amazing organization that prepares and delivers food to people living with HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses in the DC and surrounding areas. The facility was beautiful and our group had wonderful time working with their passionate staff to deliver delicious sustenance (and hope!) for these people during a very difficult time. That evening we returned to the Church of Epiphany for the Community Dinner. As the lead chiefs and organizers, our group of 16 embraced each role to put on an unconventional meal for 40 homeless individuals. After greeting each person and presenting them with a name tag, I was able to hear the stories of many individuals, including that of a woman named Mary. Mary shared with me how an unfortunate turn of events left her to reside outside the church each day. After listening to her story, she showed me one of the most stunning portfolios of artwork I have ever seen in my life. Flipping through its pages, I could not believe that someone with such amazing and unique talent was dealt such a sour hand in life. But Mary's determination to build a career in DC gave me hope that, with the help of organizations such as YSOP, homeless people can transition to a new home-owning life.
I must admit that I began this experience believing I knew a fair amount about homeless people and their struggles. Since I was in elementary school, I have witnessed hundreds of desolate, impoverished, and hungry people while visiting my relatives in India. However, after coming to DC, I was struck that homelessness defies regional, ethnic, social and educational boundaries. I interacted with remarkable artists, college graduates, and overall determined individuals to create better lives for themselves. Through our site work and the Community Dinner, I truly feel like I was able to open my eyes and heart to the real and varied struggles of homeless people, and I hope to continue this understanding and service in my own community. Overall, this was an amazing week and I feel so fortunate to have taken part in it!
And a big thank you to our amazing chaperones!
-- Tara
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