Bethany's Blog ~ Day 1

Our first full day in DC brought many learning opportunities. Volunteering at Martha's Table was the 1st experience I had with preparing food at a community table. I was amazed at the number of volunteers we were told they have coming in on a daily basis. Apparently they have volunteers lined up for the next 3 months! Hearing the history of Martha's Table really opened my eyes to the services in DC and the importance of those services for the homeless and underserved population. There is also a daycare and a clothing thrift store associated with Martha's Table. It was promising to learn that the majority of the children that attend the daycare graduate high school, and some go on to college. Without the services offered in the area, those families and children would likely have not been very successful in life.

Later that evening as we were walking through the city I was saddened to see so many homeless people camped out for the night next to the buildings to try to escape the rain. It really tore me apart to think that these people do not have a safe place to sleep, no place to eat, use the bathroom, be warm, or rest, not to mention any of the luxuries I have at home such as bed, blankets, pillows, heat, television, appliances, and the list goes on. I tried to put myself in their shoes and imagine what they must feel like, but that is really impossible unless one has been there. I know it would not feel good and would strip me of my dignity and pride. It was as if they were on display under all the lights, all wrapped up in their few blankets and tarps, with all their belongings held close. They became real people to me; not just an object know as "the homeless". Each of them had a childhood, a history, a story that I would never learn. And the number of them really disappointed me. They were everywhere. In my community there are homeless people, but we never see them. They are not allowed to sleep in public like they do in DC.