Fall is in the Air

Well, it is officially Fall here, and it is great to have the crisp air without the clouds and rain. Honestly there is not much to report on the past week at the office. Things slowed down during the lull between adult employment groups, but we did have a new group of twelve people start this morning, so I am looking forward to more action and interaction this week.

This week is my last at the Adult Employment office before heading to the Community Service office next week to work with mostly families and individuals in need of food, clothing, shelter, legal services, and guidance through the federal assistance system. From what I hear this office is chaotic and I should be able to learn a lot about how the organization addresses the more immediate needs of individuals in the community. It will be really interesting to learn more about what is available to people in the way of food stamps, unemployment, rent assistance, etc. Helping people obtain basic necessities in food and clothing will be rewarding and, I anticipate, emotionally challenging. I look forward to having some interesting interactions and experiences to share with you all.

I have started to work with the 9th grade Youth Education group at the office, and I am so thankful for the opportunity. These kids are going to teach me so much! On Thursday I shared my story with them in an effort to help them understand why I was there and inspire them to think big and creatively with their service learning project for the year based on poverty. They had a ton of questions for me, and they all seemed shocked that some people don't have access to water and basic sanitation. The idea that I will be living in places without McDonald's blew their minds, and trying to comprehend that a family can survive on $2 per day was near impossible. They shared their definitions of poverty, and told the leaders and I what they thought caused impoverished conditions for most people. I think getting these kids involved in creating and carrying out a project to help others at their age is going to profoundly affect some of them. If nothing else, they will have an awareness of the world and of the hardships that others face that not a lot of 15-year-olds have, and one that I certainly did not at their age. I am excited to share what we learn together and what kind of project they put together.

I do want to share an experience I had yesterday afternoon downstairs outside of a deli with a homeless man. I was walking back from a peaceful afternoon of sitting on a bench in the sun, where I journalled and caught up with friends and family on the phone, when I walked past a man asking for change. I initially told him that I was sorry I couldn't help him and continued walking towards my apartment. At the end of the block, my heart finally convinced me to turn around and take the man inside the deli he was standing in front of to get some lunch. I went back and told him that I didn't have any cash, but I would love to buy him lunch inside if he was interested. Past experiences of offering this to people in need have told me that they aren't always necessarily interested in food, even when they are telling everyone that is what they need money for. But this guy was very interested in a meal, and very grateful for the offer. He came inside with me and went straight to the self-serve coffee machine and then met me at the prepacked deli cooler. I pointed out a sandwich that looked tasty, but he insisted, despite my assurance that the price of the sandwich was not too much, that he would rather have a bowl of cantelope that was a few dollars cheaper. As I said, he was very thankful, and I also noticed how well spoken he was. I asked him to tell me a little bit about himself, and I was so humbled and saddened by his story. Throughout a 45-minute chat, I learned that he was previously married with two daughters in Ohio, where he worked as an EMT, but after a messy divorce he moved to New York to get away from the situation. He hasn't been able to find a job due to a misdemeanor felony on his record from Ohio, and has been sleeping in shelters and in the basement of an apartment building. He shared with me that he hasn't had contact with his daughters in years and is emotionally dead inside, which makes him feel as if he is unable to love or be loved ever again. He is humiliated by asking for money on the street, but unwilling to resort to the alternative of stealing from others and hurting them in the process. I invited him to come to the office I have been working at to get assistance with a job search, but I didn't see him there this morning. I desperately want him to come in and find the help he needs and deserves. It is stories like this one that break my heart and make me realize that I could just as easily end up in his situation if the circumstances were wrong.

That is all I have for the last week. I am thankful that even when things slow down at the office, I still have experiences like that last one that impact me and ultimately lead to a better understanding of what I came here to understand. Cheers everyone, have a great week, and please continue to think of small ways you can positively impact those around you who are in need. I put another photo from the city showing the bridge system connecting Manhattan with the rest of the city. Also, to the left is the new love of my life, my niece, Lilli Nicole. She was born on October 10th and is doing very well. I can't wait to meet her next month when I go home for a weekend.