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Posts Tagged ‘shelters’

Day 6 – Nick

Posted in Something for others, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 6, 2011| 4 Comments »

Melinda met Nick while he panhandled at an exit ramp. (photo: Melinda T.)

Today I met a man named Nick.  Nick was standing near the exit ramp.  I felt drawn to give the $10 to him so I parked nearby and walked across the way.

Nick has been on and off the streets for a year now.  Nick was extremely skeptical to speak with me at first because he thought I was with the police and quickly pulled out his panhandlers permit to show it to me.  Perhaps I was just as skeptical as this was the first time I had ever approached a person standing on the streets panhandling.  I assured him I wasn’t with the police and he accepted that and then shared his life with me.

At the beginning of the video you see a quick shot of an ID.  This is Nicks ID showing that he is homeless, I never knew there was such an ID available.  He shared with me the views of inside the homeless shelter where he has spent a few nights and said the conditions there are awful and not a place for anyone to be but it keeps him out of the elements.  He invited me to take a visit with him to the homeless shelter however I declined that offer.

Nick said today was his first day out on the streets and he was there trying to collect money so he could purchase Christmas gifts for his children.  He was addicted to pain pills at one point and his life had went downhill since then.  He’s currently not addicted to anything and is trying to get his life back on track by getting a job so he can pay for a place to live and not have to sleep at the homeless shelter or jump from home to home sleeping on people’s couches.

I would have liked to speak with Nick a bit longer but the temperatures today were extremely cold and the wind we were encountering didn’t help.

-Melinda T. from Xenia, OH

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Day 277 – Michelle B.

Posted in Food & Beverage, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2010| 4 Comments »

Volunteers enabled SOME to prepare almost 400,000 thousand meals last year. (Photo: Thom Wolf)

Volunteering is an integral part of society.  It helps ensure that essential public services are provided, builds social capital and fosters cohesive communities all while benefiting the volunteer as well by giving them opportunities to acquire new skills, have sense of purpose and integrate them into their community.  I encourage everyone to find some volunteer activity to do at least once a month.  It doesn’t need to be formal either.  It could be as simple as raking your elderly neighbors leaves, helping someone learn to read, or offering to provide a professional service or trade that you are skilled in at no cost.  Former President Clinton said in his book Giving, “Almost everyone – regardless of income, available time, age, and skills – can do something useful for others and, in the process, strengthen the fabric of our shared humanity.” How true he was.

On Day 277 I was volunteering at So Others Might Eat (SOME), an organization that has impressed me tremendously.  For 40 years they have been feeding and clothing DC’s homeless and poor, treating the ill in their medical, dental and mental health programs, training individuals for jobs and housing those in need. 

It was a Friday morning and I was volunteering in their dining room.  They serve breakfast and lunch to a couple hundred people in a short span of time so things need to be done quickly and efficiently. 

Michelle will celebrate eight years of sobriety on October 16th! (photo: Reed)

This is where today’s recipient comes in.  In addition to being the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator, Michelle also is the Dining Room Manager.  In other words, while I am working in the dining room, she is my boss.  And let me tell you, she makes the place run.  She knows when not to take crap from someone but also knows when someone just needs a hug.  I even saw her take a minute to dance a little to the music that was playing and she’s got some moves!

Born in DC General Hospital, Michelle grew up in PG County.  She went to Largo High School and went on to study cosmetology.  But then things changed.  “I got into drugs and alcohol and let them override my education,” she explained.  “I was in and out of treatment, in and out of jail.  It was not a good situation.”  She became sober on October 16th, 2002 – same sobriety anniversary as Bob!  She worked a few jobs but really wanted to work at SOME.  “I applied and then was calling, calling, calling you know and I finally got the job!”

Michelle has three grown children and a grandchild.  She now lives on Capitol Hill, owns a vehicle and has a steady job that she enjoys.  “I am grateful for so many things.”

Michelle (right) with co-worker Brittany. (photo: Reed)

Michelle, who turns 48 in less than two weeks, says that it’s the little things that make her day.  “You know, sometimes people will come up to me and say ‘thank you, you helped me so much’ and that means a lot to me.”   She gets to know some of their guests very well.  “I’ve been to funeral services for some of them…in fact I’m going to one today.” 

She’s a people person.  “I think I’m funny,” she says with a smile.  She is and has a great smile, but she can be tough too.  “We don’t tolerate disrespect or disruptive behavior here.”  Just then a guest walks by and asks her a question.  She greeted them by saying, “Hello friend, what can I do for you?”  She calls everyone “friend.”  Michelle is one of those people that define the organization’s culture.  Weak organizations, especially service related organizations, lack people like Michelle.

SOME is located at 71 O Street in NW Washington DC. (photo: Reed)

The ten dollars I gave her would be spent on something small for herself.  “I’m going to be good to myself!”  She said she might get a sub from Subway.

If you are in the DC area and need a good place to volunteer, check out SOME.  Why not get a bunch of your friends or coworkers together and set up a day for you all to go and volunteer together.  More details on how you can help can be found here.

So Others Might Eat (SOME)
71 ‘O’ Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202.797.8806
www.some.org

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Day 58 -Jeremy G

Posted in Food & Beverage, Transportation, tagged , , , , on February 10, 2010| 2 Comments »

Snowpocalypse 2010 (photo: R. Sandridge)

I woke up this morning to more snow!  After going down and shoveling the stairs and sidewalk in front of my condo, I headed out to give away my $10.  I found Melise, Kevin and Danilo…all said they could not accept my $10 for one reason or another.  All were nice and interesting to speak with…however, I was on a mission.  After more than an hour searching, I found Jeremy.

Jeremy was standing in a covered entry way for an office complex where he sought refuge from the cocktail of cold, wind, and snow that was swirling around Farragut Square in DC.  He is 48.  His stained clothes and weathered look led me to believe that he was homeless.  When I asked him if he was, he struggled with the answer.  Jeremy said he tried to stay with friends mostly or in a shelter near 2nd and E Street. 

Conversation was awkward with Jeremy.  He was extremely polite but seemed to be in a slightly altered state.  I don’t know if it was the cumulative effect of being out in the cold or a result of substance abuse or something else.  He took out a folded piece of newspaper that he had in his stained jacket and wrote down my name and other information I told him.  Every time I would jot something down in my small notebook, he would write something on his paper.  

Jeremy hopes to make a few dollars shoveling snow (photo: R. Sandridge)

I asked him what he was doing there.  He said he thought that some of the maintenance crew of the nearby office buildings would pay him to shovel some snow for a few dollars.  I asked what he would do with the $10 and he said that he would get some food, hot tea, and maybe use the leftover for bus fare.

We didn’t talk more.  I felt he was uncomfortable and I was freezing by this time.  I asked if I could take his picture…he obliged and I took the photo you see here. 

Would you believe on the way home I passed Melise again…the first woman who refused my $10 today.  She was nice and recognized me immediately.  Small world.

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Day 20 – Peter and Ayalew

Posted in Food & Beverage, Refusals, tagged , , , , , on January 3, 2010| 6 Comments »

Today was bitter cold and windy.  The temperatures will approach 0 Fahrenheit over night with the wind-chill factor.  I went out around 9pm to look for a recipient of today’s $10.  With the weather so cold, I thought I would look for someone who was spending the night out in the cold.  They could probably use the $10 and I could let them know about the shelters.

From a distance, I saw Peter very methodically laying some blankets down on a wooden bench.  As I got closer, I could see that he was well prepared for the cold.  He had on several layers and I could only see from his eyes to the tip of his nose, the rest was protected from the frigid air.  The eyes, ivory with dark pupils, contrasted against the rich dark skin of his face.  Peter and I talked for a while. 

Originally from Sudan, I wondered how he could manage outside on a night like tonight, but he said he would be fine.  This was his first night he said in the cold, the other nights he had been staying in the shelters but he said people were bothering him there so he decided to sleep outside.  I urged him to consider going to a shelter, but he resisted. 

Peter never fully understood what I was doing.  And I never fully understood why he refused to take my $10, but he did.  We continued to talk and he finally conceded that if he and I were to meet again, then he would accept my $10.  I asked where he was during the day or if he would be back there to sleep again, but didn’t get a solid answer.  I went on my way to look for someone else.  All the while thinking about the conversation I just had.  I will keep my eyes open for Peter in the coming days.  After all, he and I made a promise.

Not far away, I saw someone in a cove-like area off of one of Washington’s many traffic circles.  They appeared to be settling in as well.  They had on so much clothing that I could not tell if it was a man or a woman until I got closer.  When I got about 15 feet away, I saw that there was another person sleeping nearby, completely covered by a gray blanket. 

Ayalew had his back to me, so I approached with caution as to not startle him.  I called out a friendly greeting and he looked over his left shoulder.  He too was very well covered.  His head was almost lost in the three layers of colorful hats and hoods he had on.  The 52-year-old said he has been here in DC for about a year.  He is a gentle man with a warm smile.  His soft words hide behind his beard.  I asked him where he was from originally as I detected an accent and experienced some minor challenges understanding one another.  “I am American”, he said.  I would have guessed he was from the Middle East.  A quick Google of the name Ayalew lead me to believe he is Ethiopian. 

I speak softly so that we don’t disturb the person sleeping a few feet away.  I ask my new friend if he would consider going to a shelter tonight to avoid potential frostbite.  He smiles and says that he is fine.  “I have so much clothes and personal items, that I prefer not to go to the shelter because I can not look after my things” he adds. 

I explain the Year of Giving and ask him if he will accept my $10.  He readily accepts and I hand him over two five dollar bills.  He says he will use the money to buy some breakfast tomorrow morning and some more food later this week. 

I am not quite ready to leave despite the pain I feel in my almost numb fingers.  I am somewhat intrigued by Ayalew.  Our conversation is comfortable, going back and forth like calm ocean waves reaching the shore.  He tells me a little about his family and that several family members, including his mother, are living in Texas and will be coming to DC soon.  He and his family hope to get a job some place in exchange for the rent of a room.  In the mean time, he says he spends most of his time reading and studying. 

As I started to leave, I told him about Adam’s Place, the emergency shelter that I had heard of yesterday.  He smiled, but said nothing.  I shook his hand and wished him a safe and warm night.

My walk home took about 10 minutes.  Despite my multiple layers of clothing, my body was cold and stiff.  I covered my face and picked up the pace.  I am so fortunate for what I have.  I take for granted the roof over my head and the “endless” supply of heat that keeps me warm inside.  When I am hungry, I need only to open the refrigerator or the cupboard and I am greeted by a myriad of delicious options.  Meeting and talking to Peter and Ayalew made me appreciate this.  They gave me something far more valuable than $10.

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