Involve Yourself

Volunteering is one of the most amazing experiences. Not only is it eye opening, you are also guaranteed to meet some of the nicest people there are.
I have recently joined a non-profit organization, Public Action to Provide Shelter (PADS). PADS is a program that provides the homeless with a warm meal and a place to sleep from October- April each year. There are seven different PADS sites around the county, each one assigned to a different night of the week. So for instance, site #1 provides shelter on Monday nights, site #2-Tuesday nights, and so on. I had read about this program in the spring when they were wrapping up for the season and I kept my eyes open (in the local newspaper) for information this fall when I knew it would be starting back up again. I attended the informational meeting and knew it was definitely something I wanted to be apart of.
There are different shifts and weeks that volunteers sign up for. As a volunteer you work one shift a month, with the shifts being about 5 hours long, give or take. Which if you ask me, giving up 5 hours a month to give someone that doesn't have a home a warm place to sleep is the least I could do. So that is exactly what I did yesterday morning. I worked the morning shift which goes from 2:45am to about 7:30am. When I arrived at 2:45am all of our guests were fast asleep, snoring away. The other volunteers on my shift were an older married couple. As we sat in the hallway outside of the designated sleeping areas we got to talking (or should I say whispering). They asked me where I went to school, what I got my degree in, what I wanted to do, what I was currently doing, etc. You know, the normal questions that everyone asks a newly graduated person. 
The women then got to telling me that they just recently got a new family ministry leader at the church (fyi- all of the PADS sites are churches). She explained that they needed someone to help out with the youth and they would love to have me if I were interested in gaining that type of experience. She also told me that next month she would bring me a social work magazine that she gets in the mail.
Before I go on, I guess I should clarify that I graduated with a degree in Sociology and I want to work in the social services, for you that do not know. 
Then, the pastor showed up at about 5am to help us with 6am wake-up, breakfast, and the closing down of the PADS site for the day. He also asked me the questions I have listed above and then told me to look into the County's Health Department for a job, as he had served on the Board for many years up until last year. He said to use him as a reference and he would be more than willing to write any recommendation for me. This was all within ten minutes of meeting me. How are these people so nice and willing to lend assistance without even being asked? The generosity of some people is amazing.

Now, back to the homeless. First off, being homeless means just that, home-less. It does not necessarily mean these people are begging for change or holding up signs. Some have cars, bicycles, a variety of clothing, etc while others may not. Many people assume that a homeless person is homeless because of their own bad decisions, a drug and/or alcohol addiction, something along those lines. Which i'm sure is very true for many cases. But not all. Some people end up homeless due to bad luck and misfortune, and others have been rejected by the ones that should love them. Just because someone is homeless does not mean they are irresponsible, it does not mean that they are bad people or lazy or that they don't care. For instance, on my shift, one of the guests had an early wake up call request. Why? because she had work.
Some of these people are living out of their car, some without even that. Some may not have a permanent place of residence because they have left an abusive partner or can no longer make the rent payment due to their work hours being cut.
Now, I don't know why exactly each of our guests are there, but I know it could be any one of these reasons. We are often quick to jump to conclusions, but there is far more than what is presented to us visually. Think about how easily it would be for one of us to end up homeless if it wasn't for our families?

--It is important to recognize and count your blessings. Take the time to realize and enjoy them. Write them down. Share them with others. & then, make your actions someone else's blessing.--

As each of us have heard plenty of times before, we take things for granted much too often. By becoming involved in your community and helping out when & where you can, you start to gain a better perspective on not only other people's lives but your own as well. We fall into routine much too easily and forget how easy it is to extend a helping hand.

The best thing you can give someone is your time &if you say you don't have any to spare, stop lying to yourself. Whether it be taking your elderly neighbor's dog for a walk a couple times a week or simply visiting with them over a cup of coffee, you have the power to make a positive impact on other people's lives. Opportunities surround you, all you have to do is open your eyes a little wider and take notice.

xox- k