Day 1 Hope Community Vis

I went to Hope Community Transitional Housing. When we got there we listened to what this organization is about. We learned that this a place where single homeless women go with their children to get back on their feet. They stay at Hope for six months and learn the skills it takes to live on your own and not have to rely on the government. Even though Hope helps these women get on their feet, they still have to make an effort, earn money, and pay rent. These women learn to cook, clean, take care of their children, maintain a job, and several other things they need to know to raise a family in their own apartment. Today we got to meet a few of these mothers and their children. One little girl ran around with the excitement trying to impress us, and there were three babies with wide eyes trying to see what was going on. There is a total of 22 families at Hope right now. We had the privilege to meet three families today, and I cant wait to meet more. 

Today a woman asked us what we were doing this through and why. We told her it was a "Winterim" course. The next question caught us off guard. She asked what the course was. Nobody wanted to tell her it was about homelessness in Grand Rapids because it made us feel like we were insulting her. So we all said what the course was about (helping people, learning about our community, and volunteering.) I never realized how offensive that word could be until I was put face to face with a woman who was homeless. 

Day 1 First Place Van Tol

I spent my morning at First Place. When we first got there we thought we were locked out but we ended up being at the wrong place so we walked across the street and we got in. We tried opening a door when we got in but the door was locked so we started to walk up the stairs but then a lady opened it for us. Amanda and I told her what we were planning on doing and what high school we went to. She didn't seem to know why we were there or anything so we decided to explain a bit more but she still looked confused. So we decided to call Mr. Tuit to get things figured out so we could start touring our place. After a while a guy came and took us back to his office and we sat around for a long time with five other people in the room so it got kind of uncomfortable because it was a small room. Eventually, they left so we got to sit down and that's when everything finally began. At first he explained what they were doing and how things work there. So Amanda and I listened politely.  Even though it got boring but it was still interesting.

One thing I learned was that many homeless people line up in the morning on the sidewalk and wait for the volunteers to come out and get all of their names. Once the volunteers collect all of their names they put their names into a plastic bowl and draw names randomly. Whoever gets their name drawn, gets to work but can only work once a month because the others need a opportunity also. All of the people get 15 dollars a month for working but one guy gets 22.50 because he works at God's kitchen every Sunday. He washes all the dirty dishes then goes and does his thing. The reason he's the only one that does that is because the people there only want him to work there because he is a hard worker, always has a great attitude, and works overtime. Before it was time to leave we had to put 22.50 in an envelope and 15 dollars in  the rest of the envelopes for all the people that had worked or are working later this week. It didn't take that long but it was better than just sitting there and doing nothing for the couple hours that we were there. So after that was finished it was time to go so we talked to him a bit more, thanked him and walked out the door and waited for the bus to come. Overall, we had a good time visiting First Place.

Day 1 Degage Ministries Feddema

I went to Degage, which is a shelter/restaurant/store where homeless people can go. It was only two of us, so walking in there was almost scary because we were surrounded by people we didn't know, going to a place that we had never been to before to help people in ways we didn't even know how to. But it actually wasn't all that bad. When we first got in, we went to the sign in desk and the lady brought us behind their little store counter to help out for a few minutes until she was done helping consumers. The rest of the day we spent doing things that were not originally planned. Instead of "going downstairs to organize stuff" we got to be with the actually people up there and get to work with them. The big room had a showering place, a little laundry-mat, a room for housing, a room for personal stuff and a room for getting an ID. There was also the "store" were you go to pick up your mail, purchase soup and tokens for the laundry-mat, sign up for showers, buy things are major reduced prices like t-shirts, socks, gloves for usually only around a dollar. So we got to work there. People would come up with their ID and we would check if they had an mail, others would give us their name and we would unlock their locker for them (where they keep all their possessions--they can rent them out). It was really fun because we got to actually talk to people and meet them.

I think lots of things happened to me while I was there, the experience was really cool. But there was one person that stuck out to me. Beforehand, Ron, the other volunteer there with us, had explained that a lot of these people don't have IDs, or if they do, they are from the prison and say so. Well when I was getting people's mail, some would just come up and hand me their ID, not even saying anything. Half way through the day, a man came up, and handed me his ID. It was a prison issued ID, had it on there in big letters. I almost dropped it, in a sort of half-shocked state, and looked up at the man. He could be my dad- same sort of style, wasn't dirty, maybe mid forties  He looked completely normal. I stopped being afraid and went to look for his mail, not finding anything. I told him that there was nothing there for him, and he walked off after smiling and telling me, "Thank you." 

Day 1 Family Promise Sims

Today I went to family promise and I met a lady named Kelsey. She gave us a tour of where we would be most of the time. She had us sign a volunteer form and explained to us what she did at Family Promise,told us the purpose of the program. She had a list of things for us to do. Today we separated the gloves, hats and scarfs into two different piles. ( Brand new, gently used & worn out.) 

One experience I had today, was when I put the clothes up and separated things. I didn't realize how much the homeless really have. They go to host churches and sleep there every night for a week. They have somewhere for their children to play. They have food they can cook for themselves. It's like they have their own little apartment for them to be in during the day. They also don't have to stay at th eplace all day. They can leave, but they have to be there for the bus that takes them to the host church. They have A LOT more than I thought.

Day 1 Family Promises Banaszak

Today I went to Family Promises to sort through things in their donation room. After we found the building, we walked in and met Kelsey, who was our "go-to" person for everything. She took me and my group to a conference/staff room and told us what Family Promises is all about. It's a day center for the homeless with a toy room, fridge, laundry, showers, etc, and at night they buss 15 people to one of the five churches they have connections with. Kelsey told us some idea she had for us to do, and we signed volunteer forms. Then we went on a little tour of the place, which was just a sitting area, a small kitchen, a toy room, laundry room, and bathroom. After that it was time for us to work! We went to the donation room, which had stuff everywhere. There was a table that they had been trying to clear off, but stuff just kept piling up. So we cleared it for them. Once that was done, we started to sort mittens and gloves and scarfs. There were boxes and bags all over of old and new winter stuff, so it's understandable how everything piles up so fast there. Basically all we did with that is sort the new, the nicely uses, and the gross stuff and put them all in different places. After that we already had only about 10 minutes left, so we brought bags out to a truck that was going to a different placement.

The only real interaction type thing I had with someone who wasn't working there was on our way out of the building. There was a guy who looked about 30 coming in, smoking, wearing shaggy clothes-one of the stereo types of a homeless person. I didn't say anything to him, but I felt the same I usually do when I see people like that. Sad. Not sad because they look sad, but sad for them. You can see the pain in their eyes, and I'm thinking most of the time homeless people would probably dress a lot better if they could. And I don't know any people who have homes who would rather be at a place like Family Promises and then sleep at a church at night. It's not like homeless people like the life they live. So hopefully tomorrow I can get a chance to at least say hi to someone I would normally pass by after judging them, and I can get rid of the stereo-type of homeless people in my head.

Day 1 Guiding Light Briseno

We went to Guiding Light Missions. When we got there we were told to sit down and wait for the lady who was supposed to show us around, but she never showed up. After about 20 or 30 minutes of sitting, a guy named Joshua who worked there had given us a tour around and showed us what goes on and where some of the people sleep and live. Then he had taken us to the kitchen and we had helped with making salad for the people that were going to eat lunch and another for dinner. While we were dicing tomatoes and mushrooms he told us that there was a group meeting that was going on that we could observe and kind of learn what they talk about, so we went to that.

While in the meeting, we introduced ourselves and told what were doing and what school we're from. There were 8 guys who were in this group that had been through stuff and talked about their problems with their addictions. One experience that I liked was when the counselor said that we were going to do a popcorn thing could tell the story of what happend to us. As guys were talking i was debating with myself whether or not to tell what I've gone through. When it was complete silence when one of the guys stopped talking, i raised my hand. I asked the counselor if i can share what I've been through and he said yes. I was comfortable with sharing what I had been through, because they had been so open with the problems in their lives. I said, "I know I'm still young... I don't drink or smoke but I've been through a lot at the age of 10 that me or any other kid should never go through. My father was an alcoholic and I used to live with him and we would move from house to house and he could never keep a good job because of his substance abuse, and we would sometimes stay at different friends houses and sleep there." I was really touched by what they said and am glad that they are trying to get better.

Day 1 YWCA McLemore

Today I went to the YWCA. The YWCA is an agency that helps women and their children that have been in domestic violence relationships. When we first walked in the building a lady that worked there gave us a tour of the building. When we were given the tour we saw women with their children around the house. Then the lady was talking to us about how they needed the fuse box room to be cleaned so just in case the lights went out they would be able to get to the fuse box to turn the lights on. So me and the people in my group began clearing the room.

While cleaning the fuse box room the laundry room was right next door, and I saw a women with her two children cleaning and folding their clothes, The women and her children were very friendly and said hi to us. We said hi back. Looking at them you could tell that they didnt have much and seeing them with such a good additude made me realize that when things go bad you can still be happy and have a good attitude.

Day 1 YWCA Workman

This morning I went to the YWCA shelter for abused women. When we first got there I did not know it was a shelter, I thought it was just another house. They want the shelter to kind of blend in because many women are hiding from their husbands. When we got there a lady gave us a mini tour of the house. We saw the dining room where the residents can come and eat as they please. We also saw the kitchen. The lady told us that each person that stays at  the shelter is assigned a chore like cooking dinner or washing dishes. She then took us down stairs where we saw the donation room where there were lots of different types of clothes and there actually was a women with her family looking through it. We then went to the boiler room where when we opened the door we couldn't even step in because it was so crowded with other donations like dishes, towels, toasters, blankets, pillows, and kitchen supplies. She told us that she wanted us to try to get it as clean and organized as possible so that later in the week we can put a van full of more donations into it. It was a very hard process and its going to take awhile, but I'm sure in time we can get it all done.


Today we didnt really get to meet any of the people that stayed at the shelter, but i did talk to a lady who was doing her laundry. She asked me if we didnt have school today and I said no we do have school we are just here for a school class. She just seemed curious as to why we were here instead of in school and then she just went back to folding her clothes with her two boys. I hope to be able to meet with some of the other women that stay there in the future.

Day 1 Guiding Light Olushola

Today my group went to Guiding Light Mission to experience the feeling of being in a homeless shelter and learn the struggles of the people in the mission.  We got a tour around the shelter and we also got to see the living spaces of all the residences in the shelter.  The living space/bed rooms were kinda like college dorm rooms, just a little bigger. We also got to help make lunch, which was salad today. The last thing we did today was to join into a group meeting where everyone got to tell their feelings, and it really touched everyone in the room.

My experience today was a really great one. It really open my eyes to the struggles most of the people have been through, but at the same time it was kinda hard listening to their problems when you have no problems like theirs that you can reflect on. I've noticed that most of the guys there had almost the same problems, drinking and drug abuse, that started at very young ages. I was wondering if that would ever happen to me. Will I get stuck in a bad situation and become homeless myself? But the guys said, "Hey, don't be like us.  Stay in school and get the education to better your future."  Today was a good day.  Looking forward to the rest of the winterim.

Day 1 Hope Community Fethke

Today I went to Hope Community where I met Felicia, Kathy, and a few other women who worked there. We all sat down around a table for orientation, and they told us a little bit about the organization. Felicia mostly told us how they let women and their children (no men) stay in the apartments and make a plan on how the women can get back on their feet. After orientation, we went to the lobby and put out snacks so the women living in the apartments would come and meet us. Three women came, and they brought their kids, too. We mostly sat and talked to them and played with their kids, and then when they left we had a few minutes to see one of the apartments that they live in. We also saw the room where they keep furniture for the apartments that were donated to the organization. After that we talked to the women working there about things we could do this week. Then we left.

A small experience that I had was when one of the women living there talked about how her baby had been born 32 weeks premature. She said that her baby was only about 3 lbs when she was born. The baby had to stay in the NICU for 17 days, and the woman talked about how hard it was for her and how much she just wanted her baby. I could really tell that she loved her kids and that she just wants the best for them. I am glad she is at Hope Community because I think she will have a hopeful future and that the women working there wanted the same. 

Day 1 Family Promise Huan

Today we went to Family Promise on Division street. When we got there, Kelsey explained to the group what we were going to do. She gave us some papers to sign and we had to read some guidelines and agreements. When she finally finished talking, she gave us a small tour of the building and showed us some key places like the storage room and the bathroom. We met Cheryl, Lisa and Barbara and Kelsey explained what they did. For the most part, we did a LOT of sorting through boxes and bags of clothes and moving boxes to trucks.

When we were sorting through clothes, the lady told us that we should put the newer clothes- hats, mittens, pants, sweaters, jackets and scarves into special shelves and put the not so great clothes in the boxes and bags so they could get rid of it. I felt as though it was a waste to give it to some other donation center because if Family Promise didn't want it, why would anyone else? I noticed that there was not a shortage on clothes, rather a shortage on people. The halls were stacked high with bags of clothes and the shelves were packed with shoes and kitchen ware. The only problem was that there weren't enough people to clear it and sort it.

Day 1 Shepherds of Independence Bultsma

Today I was at Sheperds of Independance located on Morgan st. off of Leonard. We first arrived and met with Jim Miller who was incharge of the whole building. He gave us a tour of both of the buildings that they have. The first building was for the people that needed to be monitered more and the second building was for people that we more mellow and didn't need as much supervision. We first swept the floor in the room where everyone ate and we cleaned all the tables. After we didn't that we sorted through some food. We then mopped all the floors then cleaned dishes. After we were done with the work we were taken to meet some of the residents.

In February the second building that they have caught fire in a smoking accident. There was a man we met named Dave who had a chair in his room that had been recovered from the fire. When he opened the door the smell of smoke filled the hallway. Today he looked excited to see some new faces and was extremely friendly. The woman who was taking us told Dave that he should get rid of the chair, but Dave said that he couldn't because it felt good for his back. So she said that he could keep it as long as he cracked a window to freshen up the smell. He asked if they had some febreeze that he could use for the chair and when she said yes, he clapped his hands together and yelled "yeah!" We were told that the joy of the job is seeing the things that make people so happy that we would normally just shrug off. The little things could make these people happy because they are thankful for what they have.

Day 1 Placements Tuit

I spent my morning picking up snacks for the group at Hope Community Transitional, then talking to students and their placement coordinators there, at First Place, and at DeGage (I'll be visiting some of the placements every day to check in and see how things are going). At each of these places I was able to talk to the host/coordinator and explain the class a bit more fully, see that students were in the right place, and get a fuller sense of the organization. I was very excited that all of the people I talked to were enthusiastic about our class, supportive of what we're doing, and very encouraging.

I had one experience that sticks out. As I was walking from my car to Degage Ministries on Division, there was a man walking down the sidewalk pushing a shopping cart. He fit the stereotype of a homeless man in his dress and personal cleanliness. But what I noticed most clearly was that the shopping cart was filled with beautiful hand-carved walking sticks. I took a bit of a risk and stopped to ask him if he made them himself. He said yes, and he was excited to talk to me about them. I asked him if he sold them, and he again said yes. He said his name was Gravedigger, shook my hand, and told me to stop by Heartside Ministries anytime to find him and buy one. It was a friendly, positive exchange with someone I would have overlooked most days, and I hope that I'll be able to see him again--and maybe buy one of his walking sticks--in the next couple of weeks.

Welcome.

Welcome to our "grog"--our group blog. Only our students and their parents will have access to this page. The idea is that we have an electronic space to reflect on our experiences, share what we've learned, and respond to other people's learning and questions.