For my Spring Break I decided to go on a community service trip with people I didn't know to a city I knew next to nothing about. The reason? It wasn't until about the third day into the trip that I was able to answer this question.
When I initially signed up I had no idea what to expect. All I really knew was that I would be helping people in need. I was looking forward to do something I had never done before. To keep your attention I will simply say that week was full of helping people that TRULY needed it, connecting with the residents and their children, and learning and seeing things I thought I would never see. We happen to be in the part of Atlanta that had the highest rate of violent crimes. (Surprisingly enough this didn't affect our sleep, but rather a blaring train horn throughout the night, Random much? Tell me about it) I thought I knew what a tough life was, I also thought I understood poverty. There are just some things that a textbook cannot not adequately convey. I am fortunate enough to have not lived a life of poverty but I got to see several real life examples of it. It is one thing to lose your job, but to lose your job and not have any family to lean on is a whole new level of poverty. Poverty is more than just not having money. A person can also experience poverty in the emotional and spiritual sense. These are concepts we discussed throughout the week in ATL.
You may ask yourself, "why should this matter to me?" That is normal. Most of us are not affect by poverty or homelessness. But after hearing the stories of some of women that lived in the shelter it can happen to anyone. It can surprise you at the last minute when you realize you can't pay your rent. "One paycheck from being homeless." I heard this phrase from a few of the women and you have to spend some time imagining yourself in a situation like that to even comprehend the fear and anxiety one must feel if this situation becomes reality. The people I met are normal people like you and I. Some of them are put in life situations where they have no choice but to live on the streets. A small number of the residents were even college educated including one with a master's degree. Others are escaping domestic abuse relationships. Keeping the resident anonymous; I was told verbatim, "I am either getting punched in the face or living at a shelter." That really stuck to me. Domestic violence is usually never something you can see on the surface. It is also very difficult to resolve once it begins. Some of these women are driven out of their homes and sometimes are forced to assume responsibility of their children. As a child a full mental recovery from this must takes years and in some cases might never occur. This is a life I am not sure I will ever comprehend.
In retrospect I feel honored to have been able to be a light for these women and a positive male role model for their kids. Now when I see a homeless person on the street I feel empathy for them. Next time I see a homeless person on the street in Wilmington I want to buy them some fruit or a sandwich, assuming the situation allows it. As for the problem of poverty... well that is problem that calls for effective government leadership and a prospering economy. Treating the symptoms is fairly simple but the entire disease will likely take many years to rid. I also wanted to mention the amazing staff members that tirelessly work for these woman. Pastor Jim and Andy are two people I will remember for years to come. To anyone and everyone I recommend Restoration Atlanta (RATL). If you want a genuine experience of volunteering for those in need, I don't know of a better organization to work with. I have a whole new perspective on Atlanta an the homeless.
http://restorationatl.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment