Day 2 Shepherds of Independence Bultsma
Today I was at Shepherds of Independence again. We vacumed and cleaned tables on the second floor. We moved tons of furniture so that we could vacum underneath. We picked up all the Christmas decorations that they had put up for the holidays. We took all the ornaments and garlands off of the christmas trees that they had set up around the building. After we were done with that we were given cookie dough and pans to put the dough on to make cookies that they would have out for people.
I've learned much about the homeless already in these past two days. But something that has dramatically changed is how these poeple become homeless. At Sheperds of Independence all the residents are people with mental illnesses. For the past two days we have been there, a man name Johnny makes laps around the building. He walks into the same rooms multiple times a day while mumbling things to himself. There's also a woman named Cathy who I met the first day who helped around in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes, who was mentally ill but was able to take partial care of herself with some extra support. In every place that we have cleaned there have been pills laying on the tables or cigarettes sitting on the floor. I've met people that are mentally ill, but with the right support they need to keep a home. The people that stay at Shepherds of Independence are people who have mental disabilities, and that makes me realize how big of an impact it could have on someones life.