Deven's Service Learning Log 1

Today was a day in which I will never forget. I volunteered at the Denver Rescue Mission Shelter on Lawrence St. in downtown Denver, CO. This is the Mission’s Flagship Ministry and central outreach location. Thousands of people come to this facility every year for shelter, food, clothing, medical care, client services, and chapel services. In preparation for Project Homeless Connect 6 which will be held at the University of Denver on May 9, 2008, I helped during the lunch period at the shelter during the hours of 10:30am-1:30pm. On arrival at the facility, I along with my classmate was instructed to cut up vegetables prior to the lunch period. At that time, we then began to serve the “people without homes,” a phrase that we were instructed to use as a reference to the less fortunate. We were told that the term homeless was demeaning and impolite. Afterwards, we cleaned up the dining area and departed back to the DU.
There were several memories that I was left with upon leaving the shelter. I vividly remember being cheerfully greeted by Nick, one of the leaders of the kitchen facility. We signed in and were escorted down the stairwell to the right of the entrance. The basement area was set up as a dining area. There were about 11 bare, circular tables, each with condiments in the center. Many of the people were ragged looking. In reality, some of them were recovering addicts of drugs and alcohol who were serving the people without homes through a rehabilitation program. However, everyone was joyous and free-spirited. I was welcomed by a number of smiles and handshakes. I felt very welcomed. We were led into a room on the left side of the room where the manager’s office was as well as donated food that was to be prepared for the lunches.
The manager, whose name was Ray Maestos, greeted us with great hospitality. Ray, Nick, and a leader named David, all sat down with us and gave us the logistics of the program. We were told about the people that they served. We were told about attitude issues, violence that has taken place within the facility between the people without homes, the lack of eye contact that many people without homes neglect to give to those of a higher socioeconomic status, their personalities, their situations of homelessness, where the food was donated from, how long the facility had been open, their hours, and many other things. Although friendly and warm, the manager took on a more serious role when instructing us not to give out personal information such as our address, telephone number, social security number, and even credit cards, which were all given out in past situations. We were warned that these people without homes were conniving and smart, and that they would do everything to get anything out of us. We were warned to report any sexual harassment and discomfort that the people without homes may cause. All of these warnings and instructions, which all seemed like common sense, created a sense of discomfort in me before the lunch period had even started. I felt uneasy about the people as well as our tasks. I didn’t know that the facility was secure. From that point on, I put on a veil of masculinity and self defense. I was prepared for the worse, according to what I was told.
We were then set free and instructed to grab a box of zucchini and begin to cut and place them in a large bucket. So we each grabbed a box, gloves, a knife, and opened the box, only to see the most disgusting thing in my life. The vegetables were molded and old. The zucchini were no longer hard, but instead were crushed by the slightest touch. A yellowish fluid had begun to seep out of the vegetables. Our facial expressions showed great disgust. A tall man walking past said, in response, that we could throw away anything that we wouldn’t eat. In my mind, I wanted to take the entire box and dump it in the trash. This was food that people had donated and was no longer good, which was probably why they had given it to the facility. We had to sort through and find the few that were still some good, throwing away the bad vegetables. We didn’t have to do that much cutting, seeing that the majority of the vegetables were rotten. I was astounded that these people without homes had to eat this crap. I was sure that sickness spread through these meals. Never had I ever imagined that people have to eat these things. In addition to this, the man also told us to shake our bags and belongings when we leave the facility. He said that the Denver Rescue Mission had a number of bugs crawling around, most of which we cockroaches. This freaked me out and turned my stomach upside down. Not only do they deal with bad food, but bugs as well. This was absolutely repellent. People without homes should have better facilities and living and eating conditions. It is not fair that they are handed scraps, molded food, and bug infested facilities. Taxes and funding should be used to administer better food quality and facilities.
Thirty minutes after sitting and cutting in great repugnance, we filed behind a table of food as servers for the people without homes, who soon began to procession in. They came to the tables and held out their plates not making eye contact most of the time. Some people just stuck their plates out and kept moving while others may say hello and carried a short conversation. For the most part, the people were cheery. Some people had great sense of humor and very comedic personalities. I remember asking a man if he wanted zucchini and he said, “Uh uh. No no no. I will not be eating that. The devil is a lie. I don’t even eat things I can’t spell.” He laughed and kept walking. He was eager to receive the ravioli, salad, and banana pudding. I also noticed that although most of the people were nice and cheery, they were all very picky. This was surprising because I thought that people who had nothing would turn down nothing, but that was not the case. The people without homes refused certain things as if they had a number of choices. I watched them get their foods and sit down, greeting and introducing themselves to others. Some began to talk about television shows or just funny stories that they wanted to share. I had imagined that they would be sad and slumped over in despair as a result of their situations, but many of them proved me wrong. The food, as well as the people went very fast. After eating, they immediately left and went upstairs. I wasn’t able to catch any specific, detailed conversations, but the facial expressions showed contentment.
After they left, my classmate and I went into a much finer room with Ray Maestos, who sat us down to tell us stories and ask of our opinion of the experience. He told us a story of a little boy who was eager to go back outside for their daily adventure. The boy had been told by his father that they were on a mission, which is why they stayed outside everyday. He was successful in his effort to hide their homelessness from the boy, who took advantage of the “adventure.” This reminded me of the Pursuit of Happyness where Chris Gardner convinced his son of a similar story. After telling him that the people without homes were choosy, he said that since they don’t have any choices, they take advantage of every choice that they get. People without homes have no sense of power in the world. They feel as though they have no say, and the minute you give them a choice, they’ll take advantage of it, which is why some refused food and others did not. This is why some people asked for only one scoop while others asked for two and three. They receive a sense of satisfaction when given choices. He also talked to us about their lack of care and concern for the government. Although the government and its decisions mainly affect them, they have no interest in the government. They do not care about the upcoming elections, or any laws that are put in place. They feel as though no one cares about them and that they can not be helped. One of the most vivid stories that he shared was one where a man was cut across the neck with a razor by another man. After this, two men who were on drugs, raced across the street, and held and prayed with the man until his last breath. This was on Ray’s first day at the facility, which was shocking for him. Ray’s stories painted a clearer picture of their personalities, how they feel in general, and issues of violence that they face on the streets. Afterwards, we were given a chocolate candy bar and were thanked for our helped. We then walked back out into the cold streets, heading back to DU.
Through this experience, I feel that I have a better sense of people without homes. I not have an understanding of how they feel and what goes on with them psychologically. I feel more comfortable with interacting with people without homes. Before, it seemed a bit strange since we have nothing in common. However, I feel as though I have the courage and knowledge to carry on a conversation with them. I know more about homelessness and some of the things that they go through. Through observing and speaking to the clients, I have acquired this knowledge and perspective.