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 364

It was a quieter night at SafeHouse today, everyone's getting ready for the new year!

I spent some time talking to a gentleman about the winter shelter program - the rules, the program, and his thoughts on it. We then talked about how his job search is going, he's hoping that he'll have better luck after the holidays. Keeping my fingers crossed for him.

I also spent some time talking to a gentleman who wasn't feeling too well this evening. He's been feeling sick for a few days and today has been the worst! He told me about his day, he usually gets 3-4hrs of sleep a night, works a labor intensive job during the day, and is helping out at SafeHouse most nights. He doesn't eat much and is usually exhausted by the time he gets home.

I wish I could do more to help someone like him who's doing all the right things to get his life together to the point of exhaustion! For tonight all I could offer was a cup of hot soup, some green tea and some conversation. Hope he feels better soon.

Day 363

It was a fun night at SafeHouse this evening!

The group there today was amazing! They started by serving hot chocolate, then had a wonderful service, cooked some good food, and ended the night with smores around a bonfire!

I had some great food conversations, helped a gentleman figure out how old he is, did some cloud watching (and saw rainbows!), caught up with a gentleman I had not seen in a few months, and handed out shelter tickets at the end of the night.

Hoping for more conversations tomorrow :)

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 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 359

SafeHouse hosted a Christmas Party this morning/afternoon for some wonderful families! I arrived at about 9am and helped get some of the basic setting up done. Before I knew it, it was time to get to the apartments to pick up families and bring them back to SafeHouse for lunch. After 3 trips we had everyone there enjoying some delicious food and waiting in excitement for their presents.

A LOT of volunteers were able to make it out (they're amazing!) so we had several people making plates, serving food and soda, interacting, cleaning up and just doing whatever was needed at any given moment. Santa also made a special appearance and the kids loved it! With his arrival, the gifts were handed out and all you could hear was laughter and excitement in the room!

The event was perfect! And it was a great way to start my day :)

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 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 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 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 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 321

Today was quite a crazy day. Hema spoke with Vearn and was informed that there was no service today at SafeHouse. Then roughly around 5pm, I get a call from LeBlanc saying that there was going to be service. A youth pastor that usually comes to SafeHouse about once a month happened to come by today and noticed that there was no service. So on the spot he decided to sponsor the meal and do a service.

I arrived at SHO and there was so much to be done. The pastor had ordered 25 pizzas from Fellini's Pizza and they needed to be picked up. So we went to Fellini's, stopping at Publix on the way to buy lemonade, and picked up the pizza. When we returned to SHO I helped pack the plates up with food. We packed them pizza and brewed some coffee. In a matter of two hours, we were able to prepare a meal for about 100 people. :)

Hema was not able to make it to SafeHouse on the short notice, but she had already done some work on freerice.com and donated 2000 grains of rice, since she thought we would not be able to go to SHO.

In the end, I was glad I was able to make it to SHO today since it had been quite some time since my last visit. It was great to see people come together at the last minute to help out and get a meal served. Thank you to everyone that was there today and was good seeing everyone again :)

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!