A friend asked me the perfect question the other day – he wanted to know about my experiences with social justice and volunteering. It’s something that’s near and dear to me and that I’d love to share, but that I don’t always have the opportunity to talk about.
So it got me thinking… and it reminded me of why I started in this path in the first place.
Last Spring Break I went down to New Orleans to help with Hurricane Katrina relief work. The destruction I saw down there was much worse than I could have imagined. We drove around and neighborhood after neighborhood had been destroyed. Six months after the hurricane, and there were still many houses sitting in the middle of the street – which had been taken off their foundation and placed half a mile down the road on another street(!) Some of the houses/businesses looked fine on the outside, but then you peer in through a window and see that everything inside is in shambles and the ceiling is on the floor, the dishes are strewn around, and there is 5” of wet mud caked on everything. It was heartbreaking to see these people’s most personal possessions torn to shreds and in a garbage heap by the street.
That trip – it just changed me.
It brought me to the point where I can appreciate more what I have and acknowledge that I don’t really need all that much. The people we met on the trip, Sue & Wayne specifically, had lost their home where they had lived for 40 years, their summer cottage in Mississippi, everything they owned (less a few pots and an untarnished picture of Jesus Christ), several of their friends had committed suicide because the aftermath was too much to handle, and Sue was on oxygen and suffering from terminal cancer, and – yet – both of them were still full of this amazing amount of love hope and love and generosity…
The moment we walked off the bus on day one, Sue came over with a huge smile on her face and gave us each hugs. They were willing to help us out and so thankful that we were cleaning out their house. It was amazing how after losing everything and not quite having much to begin with, they still had so much love and kindness for us.
It just reminded me that there are more important things in life than money. than possessions. That situations can change in the drop of a dime. It made me realize that I just wouldn’t be happy doing what I’ve always done – when there are people suffering, hurting – without homes, without friends – just needing a friendly hello and a hug and a little help.
And so today while I was mowing the lawn… I had an epiphany.. I knew I would end up working where I would be most of use – but I didn’t know what sort of organization that would be…
This is where The Friends of Boston’s Homeless comes in. It works to empower homeless people – to help them gain independence, jobs, housing, financial security. It teaches them skills – it’s not about merely band-aiding the problem and tossing them a bed for the night – it helps to get them back into society and goes to the root of the issue more than most organizations I’ve seen.
I could definitely see myself working there. It fits within my values and is something I want to do – if I could do anything in the world, I would want to help.. to find a way to ease the sufferings and hardships of others.
