Day 362

There was no church serving at SafeHouse today, but some of the amazing staff there put together a meal that had everyone wanting seconds, thirds, and more! It was a simple meal: delicious soup, toasted bread, and fruit. The soup was the house favorite - I think it's a secret recipe!

We only had a few volunteers today too, so it was a busy night of getting everything into plates, bowls, and cups, serving, and of course having a lot of fun while we did all of that. I had a few minutes as we were serving to say hello to different people, and only had a few conversations before everyone came inside. So I'm definitely looking forward to an evening of conversations tomorrow :)

Kid and Hema - you guys are the best!! Thank you for coming with me tonight.

Day 361

It was a really really cold day in the city - thank goodness for the group serving there tonight! The doors were opened early to get people out of the cold, and the volunteers with the group made hot chocolate and served everyone while they were waiting for service to start. And they were making hot soup to serve with dinner!

I went inside and said my hellos to as many people as I could before it got crowded, conversation topics included weather, rainbows, leprechauns, and frogs! One gentleman spoke to me about doing good for others (even if it's just a friendly hello) no matter what kind of day he has had. He has a wonderfully positive attitude about everything and it's so refreshing to talk to him!

Since this has come up a few times :)
...the project will be over in a few days...all that means to me is that I won't have to write a blog at the end of the day. I still plan on volunteering about 3-4 days a week, primarily at SafeHouse but also Open Hand, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Global Soap, and Books for Africa, and then any other opportunities that interest me. This project has made a huge impact on my life, there's no turning back now!!

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 357

It was sorting day at SafeHouse. After yesterday's nightmare of finding clothes I asked if I could take some time this evening to sort (somehow) through the piles of clothes in the back hallway.

I went through and sorted mens, womens, and kids clothes and tried to fold them up, as neatly as I could!

Once service was over we handed out as many clothes as we could, mainly jackets, sweaters, and blankets. It's really cold tonight so hopefully anyone sleeping outside will be a little warmer!

I had a few conversations, mainly about holiday plans, new year resolutions, and presents!

Now its family time in the city :)

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 350

Busy night at SafeHouse! I spent some time talking with the gentleman who used to be in the Air Force. He shared all kinds of informational tidbits. He is not always coherent and usually mutters to himself while collecting anything he sees on the floor. But this week he has been a little more focused, conversations are still very tangential and factual. He told me about sharks and dolphins, Nixon, helicopters and jets, and an Access card that he can use to get whatever he wants as long as he knows the PIN.

Once service started everyone went inside, so Cindi and I helped where ever needed: finding clothes for various people, serving soup, collecting garbage, handing out shelter tickets, and of course socialising as much as possible!

Day 347

I made a quick stop at SafeHouse before heading to their last 11 for 11 fundraiser of the year. The lot was quieter than normal. I talked to the gentleman who lives under a certain bridge - he told me that it was warmer in the city today and that he spent the afternoon enjoying the sun and reading a book. We watched a couple of people play Frisbee, and we directed traffic on the lot!

About an hour later I headed over to Mood Lounge for tonight's fundraiser. Dona spent a lot of time putting this one together and making sure every detail was perfect (including her santa hat and mistletoe). The location was chic and I was pleasantly surprised.

The crowd was very different this time and I had a great time meeting all these new faces! There were lots of introductions, conversations, great appetizers and drinks, and of course lots of laughing!Dona kept up with making sure everyone was having a good time while I walked around collecting donations. Overall, it was the perfect ending to my day and we are so grateful to everyone who came out to show their support for all the amazing work SafeHouse does! THANK YOU!!

Day 345

It was a quieter evening at SafeHouse today, not sure what else was going on in the city...I walked on to the lot, saw some familiar faces, walked over to say hello, heard my name get called from elsewhere, and then saw my (now 3year old) buddy running up to me. As soon as I picked him up he started telling me all kinds of stories that I couldn't really have any conversations with anyone else.

He took me over to another volunteer and then had us playing hide-and-seek for the next 20minutes. In between hiding and running I said hello to several people. I also caught up with the gentleman who volunteers with many different organizations. He is planning to move to Florida at the end of the month to start fresh. While I know this is something good for him, and something he has been considering for months, it still made me a little sad that he is going away. He is one of those people who tries really hard to make things better but gets caught up in the wrong crowd, he cares about people and making a difference in our community and is always looking for an opportunity to do so. I'm definitely going to miss him and really hope I get to see him a few more times before he leaves.

Today marks twenty days left on this project. I'm sure I will eventually share my thoughts on that, but for now I'd like to say thank you to all of you who in the past 24hours have reminded me of what this project means to me, the difference it's made in not just my life but yours as well, and the fact that it's not just a project but my passion too! Thank you!

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 338

I had a nice evening at SafeHouse today, really laid back, weather was a little warmer than most of this week, and the conversations were all fun!

I met someone new today, another gentleman from New York - he just got here Friday night! He has been staying at the shelter and is hoping to apply for a few jobs this week. We compared the weather here to that in New York; he told me some about his family; a little about the friends he came down here with; and about the friends he's made in the past two days.

I also got to catch up with a few people I had not seen in weeks! We caught up on what books to read, volunteering at the food bank, football games, fantasy football, and old friends from my early days at SafeHouse.

I also caught up with the gentleman who used to be interested in the stock market. We talked about jumping out of planes and all the reasons not to, jobs (he has worked in a mental health setting before as well), and how he plans on having a merry Christmas this year!

On the road starting tomorrow, hoping to make it to SafeHouse for a bit before I head out...

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 332

It was a busy night at SafeHouse this evening! I got there early and had a chance to catch up with some of the guys out on the lot. I spoke to the gentleman who volunteers at the food bank; he talked to me about the referral process for services for homeless people and how sometimes it gets really tedious because you need a referral for another referral which is then for the service you need. It seems like a lot of paperwork and some of it gets redundant! He also spent some time downtown while Occupy Atlanta was at Woodruff Park so he shared stories of what he saw going on.

The group serving this evening always have a great meal but didn't have a lot of volunteers with them so I spent the rest of the evening helping them put together meatball subs with oreo cookies and a fruit cocktail. They also had lemonade, hot chocolate, and coffee. They had enough food for two servings so everyone was happy about that!

I also got to catch up with some of the other volunteers - it's always a good night when they're there :)

Day 330

Landed in Atlanta at 630am and made it to SafeHouse at 11am for their Chili Block Party! I met Dona as she led some volunteers to neighborhood parks to invite people to the party. There were a lot of great volunteers there and there was a medical clinic, a foot care station, a table set up for referrals to programs, clothes to pick from, haircuts, game tables, and live music! It was definitely a treat for everyone there.

Once I got to the block party it was all about saying hello to everyone and catching up with them. I hadn't seen one of they guys in several months, it was really good to see him and catch up on what he's been up to. He still volunteers a lot but no longer has his apartment but says he's okay with that for now. There was a lot of checking in with people,conversations about my holiday, and conversations about Thanksgiving.

It was great seeing so many volunteers come out on a Saturday morning to make this event a success, and even better seeing so many younger volunteers!

Day 305

As promised, bronchitis or not, I ended up at SHO tonight.

The service was short today, and everyone dispersed pretty quickly.

I didn't see any of the familiar faces I knew, so I made some new friends!
Of course everyone was worried about me being sick, before they were worried about themselves - which was so sweet!

But I did have a really awesome conversation today with a new friend, who named his golden retriever/ terrier - Karma! Isn't that an awesome name??

V introduced me to another group of volunteers this evening who weren't a part of the church group that was there to serve, but came out on their own volition.

For a couple of young girls, they were bold and spoke to everyone that approached them on the lot.

For V to say that they were awesome, I had to respect them sheerly because of that. But these girls are great, and I can't wait to see them around!

I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully during the day time - so I can help with more of SHO's needs.

Have a good night everyone!

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 300

It's been an amazing day of giving! And I can't believe we're at Day 300!!! Time is flying by.

I was finally able to go back to SafeHouse this evening and had such a good time catching up with everyone. I plan on doing that for the next two days before I take off for a month :)

Hema also volunteered this afternoon through her work. Here's what they got up to:

"Today was a great day to be a employee at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. With the help of Atlanta Challenge Team Building, not only were we able to identify the behaviors of optimum teamwork, but we were also able to give back to our community. We started out by being divided into 4 teams: Gold Team aka Silent but Deadly, White Team aka Sons of Anarchy, Blue Team aka GPG, and the Green Team aka Superstars. The objective of the team building event was to complete a series of challenges to retrieve bicycle parts. After completing all the challenges and gathering the parts, we had to assemble the bicycle. The bicycles that we built then would be donated to the Georgia National Guard, who then would donate it to a child who has a mother or father in the armed forces.

All of the challenges that we completed today were tough, but very entertaining and interactive. All the teams completed all the challenges and successfully retrieved all the parts. As for the winner, I would say that the Gold Team won, but I am sure that the others teams might not agree :). The Green Team believes that were certain managing members of the Blue Team that might have swindled their way to get ahead. The Blue Team believes that they were just smarter and that they outwitted not only the Green Team, but all the teams. The White Team believes that they were awesome just because they were the Sons of Anarchy. Lastly, the Gold Team was the best because they had the best assembled bicycle with the most accessories. At the end of the day, the real winners were the kids. The Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead was able to donate 4 bicycles today and we are so glad that we could be apart of a great community event!"

 It's amazing that a company sponsored an event like this and got their staff involved - it makes giving back that much more fun!

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.