Washington D.C.

Hi everyone,

My trip to DC was enlightening as I met people that changed the way I view homelessness and hunger. Each service opportunity challenged me and also provided an opportunity for my own personal growth. When I was younger and saw a homeless person, I would be scared & nervous. I didn't want to talk to them because they were dirty, smelled bad, and made me uncomfortable. This past week in D.C. changed my opinion completely. Although it sounds cliche to say this, it's the truth. For me, the two most humbling experiences all had to do with actually meeting homeless people and conversing with them about their histories. At the YSOP dinner on our second night in DC, we all met very educated people which honestly shocked me. A man named Dell moved to Washington in order to go to graduate school and after a stroke of bad luck found himself on the street. He wanted to study International Business and Security Studies, a very similar path that I would like to follow in school. Throughout the dinner, I realized that there were not many women and those that were there seemed to be mentally disturbed in one way or another. This saddened me because I would have liked to talk with the women but they were very quick to shut me down due to their condition. We also met a man named Bill who was truly inspirational. He had been homeless many times because of his family - he was so moved that we cared enough to be there cooking and serving him food. He kept blessing us and thanking us and asking questions about our future. We were all moved by Bill's story and after that night, I couldn't imagine Bill and Dell sleeping on the street. It saddened me to think that the only thing I could give them was a dinner and conversation. But, we learned that the lack of conversation when being homeless was worse than trying to find shelter and food. Feeling invisible and being regarded as nothing worsens the already lonely situation. My favorite day of service was at Thrive DC. I was able to greet the guests coming in the door to eat, shower, and use the computer lab. Half of the guests at Thrive DC were Hispanic and I was really excited to be able to speak Spanish to them. I was able to converse with many people including a young guy named Eric. (Gianna detailed his story in her post.) He was so smart and very politically aware, carrying on conversations about the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, and religion in a very factual and open-minded way. The people that volunteered at Thrive DC were interesting also because they knew many of the guests by name as they walked in the door. I even saw two of the same people that I saw at the YSOP dinner. The head of Thrive DC, Nick, said that the most important job was to smile. That phrase embodies what I learned on this service trip; you can't always give money to people on the street but it's even more important to give time, service, energy, and a smile.

- Melia