Day 365

It was the PERFECT night at SafeHouse!! It started with some conversation with the man who lives under the bridge - he told Cindi and I the story of him getting hit by a pick up truck, and explained what egg custard is since neither of us has ever heard of it.

The crowd was smaller than usual, it being New Year's Eve and all, so I said hello to a few more people before heading inside to help make grilled cheese sandwiches. There was no church serving tonight, but the group visiting there and a few of us volunteers were more than happy to help put something together!

While doing that and having random NYE conversations with one of the ladies outside it seemed like something was going on there tonight, especially since some of my family members SHOed up! I was asked to come inside for something and walked in to see cake and cards set up in the serving kitchen! Once getting through the thank you's, the hugs, and some cake we started making plates with cake, sandwiches and bowls of potato soup.

We served the meal, had some conversations with a few more people inside, hung out with the awesome group staying there (Happy Birthday David!!) and of course the best volunteers anywhere!

It was definitely the perfect end to this project! Looking forward to going back tomorrow :)

Day 360

The past few days have been emotionally draining but my night at SafeHouse was a welcome break from it all, filled with some good conversations and helping in the kitchen. I started off catching up with a gentleman I haven't seen for a few weeks. The last time I saw him he told me that he would be moving in to a winter shelter and would not need to come to SafeHouse for meals while he was there. But he stopped by today to socialise and it was great catching up with him.

The gentleman who lives under the bridge shared food stories with me :) We talked about fried chicken, butter milk and corn bread, and his all time favorite seasoning - Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning. I'm definitely going to have to try this one out!

Before I left for the night I had a cathartic discussion (I think discussions can be cathartic, maybe). This gentleman talked with me about relationships in his life and the emotions that arise when some relationships end. We talked about making life altering decisions and how those decisions are clouded by emotions, as well as how sometimes it's better to wait and control the emotions before making a decision. We talked about trust and respecting yourself and the other person, because any relationship without those things will fall apart. He was talking specifically about his relationship but this is the basis of so many relationships.

As this project comes to an end, I'm once again reminded of how much this year has given me...

Day 358

I made up for no conversations yesterday - this evening at SafeHouse was full of conversations!

I started off talking with the gentleman who lives under the bridge. Today's topic centered on animals - cats and kittens, possums, rats. It evolved into what animals eat and the claim that they eat anything, and right before I left that conversation it switched to cannibalism!

I then spent the remainder of my time there talking with the gentleman who always cleans up with me. I hadn't talked to him since I got back from vacation so we had a lot to catch up on. He has been going to the library regularly and is not happy about them being closed for the holidays! He had a lot of questions about my trip so we talked about what life is like over there, animals, the weather, and food. We also talked about the local shelter and all the news about it closing or not closing. I asked him about his thoughts on joining a program and, like many others have told me, he doesn't want to join a program because of the structure - he says it's a loss of freedom. He shared that he enjoys being out here learning about the world and being able to see different things.

That's one of the things I love about SafeHouse - they meet people where they are in life and provide whatever assistance they can for that specific person's needs. For this gentleman, it's a meal and service each night.

Day 356

After battling thunderstorms from Columbus I made it to SafeHouse just in time for a rather busy night. Since it was pouring rain here as well, Lablanc thought it would be great if we could give anyone who needed it, a dry set of clothes. Of course I was on board with this so that's what we made happen tonight.

Thank goodness Dona and Luna were there! As I got people's sizes, the two of them dug through piles of clothes to find the right ones for each person. After service we handed them out to everyone and then helped anyone else who needed clothes/shoes. It was a relief to know that they were not going to have to sleep in clothes that were soaking wet!!

Before leaving for the night I had a chance to talk to the gentleman who used to be in the air force. He came by after service to get a cigarette and ended up telling me about his whole day and how it led up to the moment he came by SafeHouse. It was a fun conversation and he promised he'd come by tomorrow to tell me more stories - I'm looking forward to it :)

Day 348

SafeHouse was, once again, the perfect place for me to go to this evening to "get away" for a while. I started off with helping one gentleman fill out an application to get his ID. He wasn't sure about some of his info - I'm hoping he will get the last few details so we can finish that up tomorrow. He shared that he would like to get his ID so he can start looking for a job, and possibly learn more about computers.

Helping him with that then turned into a conversation circle. Each of the guys showed off their cellphones, we talked about ID photos and how horrible they can turn out, my trip home, food and cultures, and then everyone's favorite sports/hobbies. As the evening went on there were a lot of hellos and checking in conversations. One gentleman shared that he has orientation tomorrow for his holiday job; another shared details on his upcoming move to Florida.

Cindi and I also helped find clothes for a gentleman who was in need of clean clothes. While he was eating we hung out with him. He is very talkative but usually keeps to himself so it was great to be able to have a conversation with him, even one that was very tangential!

Day 343

I made it back just in time to hang out at SafeHouse for a little while :)

It was a night full of conversations, laughing, and meeting new people (or rather, people I've seen before but hadn't actually met). I talked to one gentleman about cultures, religion, and he told me about diversity in his family and how how that has made him interested in learning about different people.

Another gentleman came up to talk to me and said that he always sees me there and was wondering why I came by. I told him about Project 365 as well as the things I enjoy at the nightly service: meeting people who have been through different things, being able to talk to them and just listen to their stories, and of course the bond and relationships that are formed each night. This conversation was a wonderful reminder of why I'm doing this project and why I've enjoyed it so much!

I also met a lady and her son this evening but we only chatted for a few minutes. She was very paranoid about anyone talking to her and was very skittish. I'm hoping to talk to her a little each time I see her and hoping she'll slowly feel comfortable talking to me too.

Day 336

After a somewhat stressful day I made it to SafeHouse and was greeted by the young boy who comes there often. He was playing tic-tac-toe and learning to write his name with one of the volunteers. It was a quieter night today since most people get their cheques around this time but there were still some fun conversations.

I caught up with one gentleman who shared that he was going to the SEC parade tomorrow; joked around with someone else about basketball, spades, and the skills I have in both those activities and how I could probably win against him (he has been teaching me both); talked to another gentleman about women (specifically two of us) taking over the world and how much stress that may cause him; and before leaving for the night hung out with the wonderful volunteers for a bit!

A night at SafeHouse always gets rid of the stress!

Day 334

It was another really really cold night out on the SafeHouse lot. When I got there I said my hellos and made my rounds to as many people as I could.

I was talking to one gentleman about music and what he listened to. He also talked some about his music and he let me listen to one of his songs. It sounded good! The gentleman who talks to me about his relationships was there today and we got a chance to catch up. He shared his latest relationship woes and plans for his next relationships. He talked about living life like The Bachelor (that's what I think it is) and is considering dating multiple people and eliminating them as he takes them on each date - he swears that this would not be like The Bachelor!

I met someone new yesterday and had shared some information about SafeHouse with him yesterday. We talked a little more today and he told me about himself. He is from New York and had to come down here for some work. He now wants to go back to school and get a business-related degree. He is a little quiet, has a good sense of humor, and seems very patient. I hope he gets to his goals!

Day 333

Its getting colder and its dark too early which makes it harder to get out to volunteer in the evenings. But I still made it to SafeHouse today and got to catch up with one gentleman who lives under a bridge not too far away. We chatted about my vacation and the weather there, then the weather here. A lady sitting next to him joined our conversation and we started talking about the snow forecast and the worst weather each of us has seen.

I talked to another gentleman about food from different parts of the city, state, country, and world. He likes learning about different cultures so he had a lot of questions for me.

Once everyone went inside, I helped put chairs away and then caught up with another awesome volunteer. It was a nice, quiet evening and I'm glad I was able to make it down there. Back again tomorrow for more catch up conversations!

Day 302

It was a really really really cold night at SafeHouse! I don't know how people living on the streets make it through nights like this one. Many of them had big coats and jackets on, a lot of them were looking at staying at the shelter tonight, but there were still some people who would be sleeping outside - thinking of them tonight and hoping they stay warm through the night.

I hung out with two gentleman who hadn't been at SafeHouse in a long time. The first has found an abandoned home to stay in - he is looking for a job and slowly piecing his life back together. I asked what he's been doing with his time and he said he had been doing a lot of reading. We shared what books we were each reading, made recommendations on what the other should try out, and swapped favorite genres. He is one of those guys who faces the facts, he's realistic, and makes no excuses for himself. I hope he finds his way back to the life he wants, and that his small steps at change make an impact on his life.

The other gentleman shared that he is now off the streets, has a place to stay, a job, food, and clothes. He looked well, and better than the last few times I had seen him. He has always wanted to go back to work, and it seems that life may be coming back together for him. He told me that he did not want to be homeless again, and I'm hoping that is enough motivation to keep him going forward.

I spent some time talking to a lot of the regulars, most conversations were just "check-ins" since I'd been there twice this week already. I helped some people get different items that they needed, talked to one younger gentleman about controlling anger, joked around with the other volunteers, handed out tickets at the end of the evening, and had too much fun!

I'll definitely miss going there every few days, but I'll be back and will have lots of catch up conversations next time!

Day 301

It was another night full of conversations at SafeHouse! There were conversations about the weather, the aquarium, relationships, ginger beer and basketball.

I spoke to one gentleman about what he has been working on. He is helping people learn how to play golf and he shared that this is something he is really excited about. He is one of those guys who sets goals and finds creative ways to reach those goals. We always have great, positive conversations!

Looking forward to spending more time there tomorrow evening! For now, fun times with the family :)

Day 296

It has been a wonderful and exhausting weekend and I loved every minute of it! I ended the weekend with an evening at SafeHouse. It's amazing how much energy I get from going there, no matter how tired I am, being there is re-energizing, tonight was definitely one of those nights.

I had a conversation with two gentlemen who really showed me the power of giving. It's starting to get colder and each of them, this weekend, gave away a coat to people who had no warm clothes. They both told me that they just needed one, happened to have an extra, and so gave it to someone else who was really in need. It continues to amaze me - they give when they barely have yet we sometimes find it so hard to give when we have so much.

Once service started most people went in to escape the cold. I put away chairs, cleaned up the lot and then got back to my basketball lessons. The gentleman teaching me is so encouraging! I am actually getting the ball in more times than not - today's lesson was all about technique.

After service I handed out tickets, had a few quick conversations: caught up with the gentleman who used to talk to me about the stock exchange, he is now considering starting a business; spoke to the gentleman who talks to me about his relationships and he gave me the latest on his situation. I ended the night with my cleaning buddy - we cleaned the lot and the street and enjoyed a catch up conversation.

Day 294

Each night I go to SafeHouse I feel like I don't have enough time there! There were so many discussions to have, it was amazing, as always!

My evening started with catching up with the gentleman who talks to me about cars. Then I had some basketball lessons - I'm surprising myself with the coordination! The gentleman teaching me also gave me some basic rules on playing basketball and showed me some different techniques. As the lot got a little more crowded I left to let the guys play some real ball.

I spoke with a gentleman I had not talked to before. He is such a sweet person! He is from Macon and used to work for the post office. He has been in the city for a while, is currently trying to figure out his SSI (with the help of an awesome volunteer) and is looking to get back to work very soon.

I had some wonderful, quick catch up conversations - one gentleman told me he just got offered a job! I am soooo excited for him; he'd been looking for a while and he seems really focused on getting back on his feet. I hope this works out for him!

After a wonderful evening of giving, I'm looking forward to a night in the city at my favorite spot :)

Day 292

It was a cold day in the city! And the room was packed for service at SafeHouse with people trying to get a break from it. I started off my evening there with a conversation with the gentleman who loves cars. We talked a little about car colours and keeping your car clean. He then told me his dream car was an Aston Martin, which he described in detail :)

I had another conversation about the impact of technology on our social skills. This gentleman shared his views that people are becoming less interested in meeting other people face to face and that the norm now is to text,email, or facebook our friends and family members. He also shared a story about his ten year old son texting him instead of talking to him on the phone.

While service was on I hung out on the lot with people who couldn't make it inside because it was so full. There were a lot of catch up conversations; one of the guys just got back from visiting his family so we talked about his time with them. Its amazing how spending time with people you love relaxes you; he looked relaxed, refreshed, and had tons of positive energy!

After service we handed out tickets to the shelter, chatted to people as they got ready to leave, cleaned up the lot and called it a night!

Day 287

Another SafeHouse evening...I started off talking to the gentleman who I always clean the lot with. He spends a lot of time looking stuff up at the library so we had a lot to talk about: the weather, Africa, global warming, growing up in New York, growing up in Botswana. He talked some about the holidays and how people sometimes get depressed around the holidays. We talked about our shared fear of heights and swapped our horror stories.

While service went on I talked to a gentleman who is indecisive about moving to another city to start over. We talked about where he would go, the pros and cons of each location and of moving in general. I asked about what he would do there and the barriers that kept him from doing the same here. He explained that being in a new place might make him more open about trying opportunities that he would normally pass up here. By the end of the conversation he sounded more sure about moving and so we went on to discuss how he needed to prepare to move.

The rest of the night was made up of quick catch up conversations while handing out shelter tickets. A good end to the week :)

Day 286

I hung out with one of the ladies at SafeHouse today. She had all kinds of stories to tell me! She caught me up on which couples are arguing, who's doing what, and her opinion of others. We then talked about her primary concern right now - housing. She told me she was hoping to find something soon because she does not want to have to sleep outside this winter. We talked about her options and she said there was a church group also helping her out, so hopefully she'll be indoors in a few weeks!

While service went on one of the guys showed me how to shoot hoops (I got 4/6 in  - I was ecstatic!). Once service ended I handed out tickets for the shelter and had quick conversations with people as they left. Back there tomorrow!

Day 282

Conversations about relationships and advice on dating; discussions about books, the classics, Shakespeare; movies - sometimes they capture the details of a book, but most times they don't; music - old school versus music today, lyrics, early rap; we talked about children, discipline, and raising kids in today's society; ended the evening with a conversation on good deeds. All of this with people who are homeless and were at SafeHouse for the evening. Some of the best conversations happen out on this lot!

Day 280

I spent a couple of hours at SafeHouse today and had a good evening of conversations. I caught up with one gentleman and we chatted about the weather, global warming, polar bears, and cars; he told me that if he had the money he would build a place for the polar bears to live and that he would take care of them :)

I spoke to another about relationships and priorities. He also shared gun laws of different states and talked about the effects of drugs and cigarettes. He always has an interesting story to share and today was no different.

I spent the rest of the evening talking to some of the regulars and getting more letters written.

Day 273

Chandni is still out of town so this evening so Jiten, Kalpesh, and I went to SafeHouse. Jiten and Kalpesh got there a little earlier than me as I was stuck in traffic.

As I arrived to SafeHouse, most of the crowd was making their way inside. We stayed behind and started by helping putting away the chairs. Then we started chatting away one of the regulars. Our conversation started out by us talking to him about his current job. Then we talked about flying kites, and most importantly, Football. We discussed our favorite teams and the teams that we love to hate.

We ended the evening by watching a group of guys play a friendly game of basketball. They guys were really enjoying themselves and we were having a great time watching them and cheering them on. I have to say, some of those guys really have some skills on the court. :)

Tonight is going to be a very chilly night in Atlanta. So before we left, we handed out a few sweaters that we had brought along. They are really going to go a long way this weekend, since we are expecting a cold weekend. Hopefully everyone will be able to find a way to stay warm.

I am so glad that we could fill in for Chandni tonight at SafeHouse. We had a great time and look forward to going back soon.

~ Hema

Day 268

There were some last minute changes in today's plans, so I ended up at SafeHouse this evening (yay!!).

The evening started off a little slow, and I took advantage of that to talk to some of the quieter people. One gentleman I spoke to lives under a bridge - we have a ritual anytime I pass this bridge and he is there, I honk twice and he waves. Today we talked about Kool-Aid - his favorite flavors, why he thinks it is the best drink, and how he makes it. He also shared that he has never been outside Atlanta, he says he is a true Southerner! He does not like the idea of traveling on planes and trains and we had a long conversation about all the things that can go wrong when you are traveling.

I also got to catch up with one of the ladies who told me about her kids a few weeks back...she is going back home this evening and will be with her kids! She was so excited! She has things she needs to work on and I'm hoping she can make positive changes not just for her sake but for her kids too.