Tuesday, March 10, 2009

From a Mother and Daughter

My daughter and I volunteered for a half day shift. I pulled her out of school for the morning (during finals week, yet!!). I knew that, given her early teens age, our universe of tasks was small for the event. But I saw it as an opportunity to teach the young in a community. To my knowledge she was the only young teen present. The most vital take-away for her was the sense that there is no difference between us & "them". Is that not the most critical message for the young? We talked so much that day about her reactions to the event. Even though our role was relatively small (crosswalk guides), the messages she received as a young member of the community are priceless. We chatted in the car (on the way to school afterwards) about how the physical setup showed respect, about how there really is no difference between us, how circumstances create situations & not inner character, how every role in the event contributed to the whole (she was especially fond of the hair cuts!!).

I am grateful to the organizers & all the others that worked towards the Project that, while my mission was fairly simple & discrete - to provide an opportunity for my daughter -- I came away with so much! My hope for next year would be to consider how to include the youth in the community (perhaps during those 6 months Dan refers to in his write-up). We want to be a part of next year's efforts so keep us on your list. Thank you so very much...

Annie & Madeleine Stewart

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The survey says...

We surveyed our volunteers for their thoughts about the event. Here are some of their responses:

“I was moved by the variety of people that I saw at lunch. I liked talking with the guest, making eye contact, getting smiles back. I was nervous about the event, but am not now and would gladly do it again!”

“Meeting and learning about each individual—the stories were sobering, the people were inspiring.”

“Obtaining a genuine sense of community, of getting together, something I haven’t felt for a long time.”

“What I enjoyed most about the event was getting to meet people. I do not know many people who are homeless and I made connections that I will always remember.”

“Seeing walls come down between the two sides.”

“Community support for an important segment of our population.”

“Personal interactions and friendly community spirit, also, the breaking down of stereotypes!”

“The homeless Vets I was able to give information to about the many benefits they have available to them through the Vet Center.”

“The community demonstration of caring, and the level of appreciation of the people served.”

“I felt that it put a face to homelessness, and erased many stereotypes about who the homeless are and what they look like. I felt like we made a difference in people’s lives, and that we were able to provide them with a sense that there are people who care about them and want the best for them, despite their circumstances.”