The Group Shot
Homelessness in America
Gettysburg College first-year seminar: Tryin' to Find a Way Back Home: An Introduction to the Literature and Legacy of Homelessness in America
DC Outfitters
(download)
Admittedly, walking along the streets of DC with my trash bag filled with clothes, I was a little nervous thinking about what I had to do for our DC Outfitters assignment. Throughout my young life I’ve been taught to ignore those on the streets looking for either clothes or money. This activity called for just the opposite. I had no idea how to approach a person living on the street, and I did not want to offend someone by offering them aid. After Aunty Danny and Professor Fee directed us on what to do and how to approach people, I still had a few concerns and apprehensions.
Our first stop for the night was Mcpherson Square. This is the usual first stop in years past for our group, but it was under construction this year so not many people room to stay there. We did get lucky and find a few males in need of clothing, but not a huge amount. We stopped at the bus stop next to McPherson, and encountered a lady that was more concerned with getting a homeless man across the street proper clothing than her own needs. Since I had the bag containing male clothes, I went across the street with two other girls to see what the man needed. As soon as we approached him and asked if he needed any clothes he was very sweet and started to apologize for being dirty. We all laughed his comments off and proceeded to see what clothes he liked and could use. He decided on one t-shirt and a button down, promising to buy us all gifts as a term of repayment. Before we left him he took all of our hands, shook them, and then kissed them. As we walked back across the street, a female police officer commented on impressed she was with what we were doing. That series of events was the highlight of DC trip. Not because of the recognition we received by the police officer, but because of how appreciative this man was for a raggedy t-shirt.
We found more people in need once we arrived at Franklin Park. At this location, numerous homeless approached us and asked what we had and even tried things on. One group of men started introducing us to their friends as their daughters as they were sifting through out trash bags. That same group of men had us all laughing because they insisted upon getting dark clothes that had to be considered extremely masculine. Another man came up to us asking for any spare clothing because he was living on the street and could really use anything we had left. Many people did not want clothes but toiletries we all take for granted daily. We weren’t able to provide those things, but many of us suggested we bring them next year.
DC Outfitters was the highlight of my DC trip because I felt like I was making connections with the homeless community. I could actually see how happy my actions were making the homeless and how little it took make their night more comfortable.
US Interagency Council on Homelessness
(download)
As we walked in to the orderly, business-like corporate meeting room at the United States Interagency Counsel on Homelessness, we all knew the presentation we were about to hear would be different than any other of the weekend. We all sat around the table and prepared questions to ask the speaker about governmental involvement with homelessness. After about five minutes, Anthony Love entered the room and introduced himself as Deputy Director of USICH. We all introduced ourselves, and were surprised by how genuinely interested he was in our backgrounds with the class. Liz volunteered to summarize our experience, and as she listed the various organizations we met with, and the amount of service experience we were exposed to, we were all surprised by how much we had accomplished.
He began his presentation by talking about his own experience with homelessness, and the organizations he had been involved with before USICH. He grew up and worked in Houston, Texas originally, and worked for a federal agency aiding homeless veterans. His passion for the subject was evident in his descriptions, as he expressed his absolute commitment to ending homelessness in America. The concept of ending homelessness drove the rest of the discussion, as he laid out the Council’s plan of eliminating homelessness step by step.
He described the outline of the program, which consisted of two five-year and one ten-year plan, resulting in the housing of every citizen of the United States. After hearing just the concept of complete eradication, our class began to show skepticism, as we were looking at each other with confusion and disbelief. How could homelessness possibly be eliminated so soon? How could the government take every single person off the streets and put them in housing? These questions began to circulate around the room, and we listened as Deputy Love explained in greater depth the concepts.
The first five-year plan was to eliminate chronic homeless, or prioritizing the individuals who have been homeless for ten years or more. People who are chronically homeless make up a large percentage of the homeless population, and by getting these people off the streets, major progress would be taken with the elimination process. Secondly, the next five-year plan is to provide homes for veterans, especially veterans suffering mental repercussions. The tentative plan is to provide institutions that will motivate and teach these citizens to live on their own. By attacking the problem by its route, major progress will be made towards the future of homelessness, or lack thereof. Finally, the ten-year program proposed by USICH was to provide housing for all families. Love described the reasoning for why this step is a ten-year plan, as he admitted to the government not completely comprehending how to go about dealing with this problem, at least in the short term.
After a full weekend of working in a non-profit organization, and listening to many speakers give their own opinions on how to deal with the rising problem of homelessness, it was interesting to end the weekend by becoming exposed to a governmental perspective on the issue. After returning to Gettysburg, we discussed our thoughts of Deputy Love and USICH while in class, and many students expressed their continuing skepticism in the five and ten-year plans proposed. Yet we all came to the conclusion that even if the 100% elimination of homelessness is not achieved in 10 years, progress will ultimately be made, and that is important enough.
DC Central Kitchen - Day 4
(download)
Our last morning at DC Central Kitchen started like every other morning; desperately chasing after Professor Fee as we attempted to observe our surroundings that seemed to be passing us by. Everything was the same except for the feeling that we were leaving lingered with every cut of the knife. Being sensitive to cutting meat, I was on vegetable duty where my group made the salad that they would be serving that day. Like the day before, I was with David cutting endless amounts of tomatoes, feeling that with every one tomato cut, two more would be added to the pile. Once we finished that task, we cut cucumbers into slices and added it to the salad. After taking a few minutes for break, my group returned and began to peel potatoes. Although the work was mindless and long, it allowed us to get to know the other groups we were working with and to understand their motives for volunteering. All of the chopped vegetables piled high and we didn’t realize how much work we put into the salad until we combined everything together. The immense amount of salads that we created was enough to feed many support groups. DC Central Kitchen makes 4,500 meals every day that are passed throughout the city. The main workers in the kitchen were all very inviting and willing to work with everyone; even those who cut themselves multiple times throughout the weekend (Lizzie Donatoni). I was able to learn a lot from the workers and listened to each individual story where I could hear their experiences and difficult journeys. They were willing to share their stories in hopes of passing on life wisdom to us.
Even though we only volunteered for a few days, our entire group was able to form close bonds with the workers and other volunteers. We all worked side by side, laughing as we worked which allowed time to go quickly. One of the walls in the kitchen displayed a map in which all volunteers are to put a pin on the state from where they are visiting from. After taking a closer look, I realized that DC Central Kitchen has had volunteers from all over the country that have traveled to make a difference. We worked with both our group and other volunteers which brought us differing prospective on the work that we were doing. Although the girls in our seminar group were already close, I feel we all got to know each other on a different level which allowed us to form closer bonds. The trip brought us to become more like family and encouraged us to discuss the difficult problems our country is facing. Before this trip and working at DC Central Kitchen, we all had ideas that could help fix these problems, but we never knew how to put them into action. The workers at the kitchen encouraged us to follow through with these ideas and proved to us that even the smallest contribution can make a big difference to someone else. As a class, we all originally felt that we could only make a difference by affecting many people at one time. Greg and David, two of the workers from DC Central Kitchen, demonstrated that this is not true and should not be what we aim to accomplish. Starting off small can eventually lead to something larger and more powerful than we first made goals for.
After spending four days at the kitchen, I feel I have learned a lot from both the workers and volunteers that I will take with me forever. I hope to volunteer at DC Central Kitchen again and to continue the bond that Gettysburg College has formed with the kitchen.
Night Shelter - Day 4
(download)
My night at the N-Street night shelter for women wasn’t quite what I expected, but it was definitely a great experience. Shannon and I were the last pair to spend the night at the shelter, so I had already heard plenty about how much everyone else had loved it, and how sociable many of the women were. I think that Shannon and I didn’t get quite the same experience as the other pairs, however, because we were the only pair to stay at the shelter during the normal curfew hours, rather than weekend or holiday hours. This meant that many of the women had already started going to bed shortly after we arrived because they had to be up at 6 a.m. the next morning. There were fewer women to interact with, therefore, but the ones we were able to talk with really opened my eyes to the realities of homelessness, just within the couple hours we spent with them.
We sat in the TV room until 11 p.m., when it was lights out. The 5 or so women who joined us seemed to really enjoy this time to just relax and several of them worked on crafts. One woman was crocheting a baby hat and blanket as a gift to woman she knew who had just given birth. Carol was experimenting with making a decorative spread for her bed out of some pieces of fabric she had gotten. I was able to have a conversation with Carol and she told me about how she liked to decorate and looked forward to being able to personalize her own home. She had a big book on home décor on the table with her, and she also told me about how happy she was for her daughter who had recently had some exciting developments in her own life. I could not think of Carol as ‘homeless,’ she was so much like the other moms I’ve met throughout my life. This was a common occurrence I found throughout the night and morning; it was like I was hanging out with a group of my friends’ moms.
While much of what we saw made it seem like these women really had it together and were on the right path, there were also signs that they had had to work to get to the place they are now. One woman had on a pretty necklace with a camel pendant and I told her that I liked it. She told me that the necklace had a story behind it; it was a ‘recovery necklace’ and the camel was symbolic because camels can go a long time without a drink. This brought the reality that the women at N-Street are facing real struggles front and center to me. Not all the women have substance-abuse problems, but none of them have an easy road ahead of them either, and I admire their strength.
I also came to appreciate how frustrating it must be for the women to have so little control over different aspects of their lives, like when they get up, take a shower, or even just being in charge of their own medications. Shannon and I did have some problems with handing out the medications in the morning. One woman was newly arrived at the shelter, and her critical afternoon medications hadn’t been placed in the cabinet. We tried calling the staff across the street, but no one picked up the phone, so we weren’t able to help her. Luckily, she realized she could take the pill she needed from her morning supply, but I was struck by how powerless this situation must have made her feel. Even though she was living in arguably one of the nicest shelters that could be found, she was still homeless and therefore couldn’t be fully independent or in control of her own situation.
I glad that I was able to be one of the volunteers at the night shelter because it was such an enlightening experience, I would love to repeat it, and I know Shannon felt the same way. It gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to be homeless. I already knew that America’s homeless weren’t just grungy men living under freeway overpasses who have a tendency to drink and talk to themselves, but this experience showed me firsthand just how wrong stereotypes of homelessness can be. I talked with women who have healthy relationships with their families, who have jobs, who are clean and sober, and who I would never in a million years guess were homeless. I also came to recognize the small indignities that go along with being homeless, no matter how nice a shelter you live in. I feel like I do have a more comprehensive outlook on homelessness in America now.
David Hilfiker
(download)
We just had the opportunity to meet with the author of Not all of Us are Saints, David Hilfiker. When he first walked in he reminded me a lot my grandfather and he seemed really shy and subdued, as the conversation progressed we soon saw that shy and subdued are not the words to describe Dr. Hilfiker. As soon as we started talking to him about his political views his arms began to slowly start swinging and his voice went from introverted and shy to confident and excited. We first started discussing his book and the conversation was very casual. We asked about certain parts of the book and how he thought that the issue of homelessness could be solved. He discussed with us that one of the most important aspects in eradicating homelessness was to start government housing programs. He continued to explain that healthcare was an important factor as well as decriminalization of victimless crimes. One of the things he appeared to be really passionate about was decriminalization of victimless crimes, he focused a lot on the drug wars and their effects on the African American population. He called this new theory the “The New Jim Crow Laws” which was a very interesting philosophy that I have never really thought about before. Considering the fact that 60% of African American men have at one time been in the criminal justice system it is apparent that some discrimination is involved in our justice system. The effects of this on the African American population are devastating, since people who have been incarcerated are no longer able to apply for Medicare, food stamps, and many other welfare programs it is creating a poverty cycle for African Americans that they cannot escape. He concluded that these were the “new Jim Crow laws”, by targeting African Americans in the process of incarceration African Americans were being oppressed by the system. He also told us that one fourth of the males in African American communities were in jail thus families in poverty were forced to live without fathers and husbands deterring their situation even more than what they were born into. Besides exposing us to a new view of homelessness, Dr. Hilfiker also opened our eyes to how difficult it is to work with people struggling with homelessness. Dr. Hilfiker suffers from depression and eventually had to retire from his medical position, he said that it was extremely draining and that his depression got the best of him. He looked around and he saw that all of the people surrounding him in the homeless shelter also experienced the same “broken” feeling that he was feeling during his bouts with depression. Although depression made him put his medical career aside, it did help him to understand the people that he was helping. Overall, Dr. Hilfiker was an extremely inspirational speaker, he opened our eyes to new views of subjects that our not normally talked about and he also helped us to understand how difficult the life of a homeless person really is.
Robert Egger
(download)
After working at DC Central Kitchen for three days, I was eager to meet the man who started it all and wrote the book Begging For Change. The overall idea of the kitchen and the ideas that Egger has about running non-profits require immense creativity, optimism and willpower. I was anxious to meet the man who has all three and much more. Egger is an energetic man who emits a positive attitude and his passion for change is obvious to everyone. During our discussion, Egger conveyed his hopefulness and faith in the human population, which was different than some of the other people we met or authors we read. When we met with the Judge, he expressed his loss of faith in people, and Dr. Hilfiker was so burnt out and depressed after seeing hundreds of sick homeless people, he ended his medical practice at Christ House. Robert Egger is the exact opposite of the two aforementioned men. He is hopeful and encouraging, pushing us to follow our dreams and ideas regardless of their “practicality” in the eyes of our peers.
Egger has started such a wonderful program focused not only on feeding the homeless, but educating and bettering their situations. I enjoy working alongside his engaging, entertaining staff, as well as other volunteers. Most impressive to me, however, are his constant efforts to better the program, reach more people, and open more doors. He acknowledges the fact that new minds and visions are necessary to keep a program like DCCK working and beneficial, and is passing on the organization to people who can make the organization even more helpful. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this, for I think it would be hard to let go of something you started and have been proud of for so many years. Egger’s willingness to confront new challenges and constantly better the situations of others is a key component to his success and the success of the programs that he has implemented at DCCK. Egger’s new area of interest is the elders in society. In his book and in person he comments on the fact that our society does not respect elders like others do. He believes this to be immensely tragic and hopes to create future programs catered toward them. I never thought about the lack of respect and care for the elders, but it is defiantly something that, now that I am more informed, hope will change. Egger also hopes to create a TV show to help educate people about homelessness and what is being done to combat it. I believe that this would be an excellent way to reach people and educate the masses to break stereotypes and misconceptions of the homeless.
At one point in the conversation, Egger said “Be a resident of where ever you are staying…” He went on to motivate us to change and positively influence all areas we stay in, even if we are only there for a few nights. I thought this concept was so interesting. It is important to consider and impact all areas, not just ones that we live the majority of the time in. After meeting with Egger, I had a new feeling of power to help change and make a difference. He is so encouraging and inspiring, and makes me want to start programs at home in Chicago, for I know the city could benefit greatly from programs like DCCK. Egger was so inspiring to listen to and radiates such hope and positivity that the feelings are contagious. I am inspired and encouraged to take what I have learned at DCCK and from Egger, and use it to help in my own community and all the communities I come in contact with.
DC Central Kitchen - Day 3
(download)
Today was our third day at DCCK (D.C. Central Kitchen) and Carolyn the volunteer coordinator greeted us. It was a week day so the staff was different than the staff that we had interacted with during the weekend. Carolyn told us her story about how she had overcome a drug addiction and how she had graduated from the culinary arts program that DCCK offers to people. She was very energetic and excited to work with us. After she talked to us, we all went right to work and did the same steps that we do every day before we begin working with the food; washing our hands, putting on hairnets and putting on aprons. I was first put to work with a returning graduate of the culinary arts program. She was very sweet and we had to crack about 12 dozen eggs into a bucket to make omelets. We then poured them into sheet pans where they were then baked. After that, one of the cooks put us to work peeling potatoes. A group of 4 of us girls and 2 workers from the culinary arts program peeled 2 fifty pound bags of potatoes. After we had finished, we had to peel another 50 pound bag so altogether for the day we had peeled 150 pounds of potatoes. After that we took a break with everyone and talked with some of the other volunteers. We then went back into work mode and Grace, Emily, Sarah and I were sent to the chicken station. Grace had to pour oil on the chicken, I would then season it and then Emily and Sarah would mix it in. We had an assembly line going which made the process faster. Around us, some people were cutting massive amounts of tomatoes which were then used to create a large pot of sauce while others were shucking corn, chopping onions and peeling other types of potatoes. The sauce that was then made was then used in a production line where tons of trays of pasta and sauce were packaged to be sent out to the multiple groups in need. Monday was a busy day compared to Saturday and Sunday and the air almost had a different feel. There were more workers running around than there was on the weekend and they were not playing music on the speakers for everyone to hear. This disappointed me because it really pumped everyone up in the morning and it kept the atmosphere upbeat. I understand why it was not playing though because they do have 4500 meals a day to make so it could be distracting. Today was also our first day eating lunch at DCCK and it was very good. We then had a meeting with the founder of DCCK Robert Egger. He was very friendly and you can tell that he cares about all of his workers and that he is very passionate about what he does. Everyone was really nice and we got to work with a lot of great people. I really love working with food and knowing that what we do helps others in need.
Night Shelter - Day 3
(download)
Growing up in an area where homelessness was neither remarkably visibly dominant nor infrequent, I’ve encountered homeless people relatively often, but on a very brief, detached level. Unfortunately, my understanding of homelessness coincided with many of the stereotypes that society at large applies to that condition: substance abuse, chemical dependency, mental illness, a general sort of grunginess, perhaps low educational levels, lack of luck, or any combination thereof.
I came into the seminar course with these stereotypes and a vague understanding that these stereotypes might not necessarily be entirely accurate or truly representative of the homeless demographic. And through the readings and discussion the course has provided – learning the history of homelessness, some of the most common causes of homelessness, the difficulties associated with implementing solutions to the problem of homelessness – I developed a more reality-based understanding of how society’s stereotypes play a part in but do not define homelessness.
Cool. Ace. My horizons are widened, my vision clarified.
…And then I go upstairs for night duty at N Street Village.
And the significance of just how unrepresentative homelessness stereotypes truly are comes to me in an odd combination of subtle, dawning realization and immediate shock comparative to a hit from a sledgehammer emblazoned with the message, “No, duh, Sherlock; you’ve been learning that for the last month and a half.”
The first thing I notice once I’m inside is that the shelter, like the hostel downstairs, is clean and relatively homey. The second thing I notice is that all the women I pass in the hallway or meet in the dining room are warm, welcoming, and very friendly. The third thing I notice (and it really sets in right after the regular staff leave for the night) is that a lot of the women are just like people I know.
Jackie and Loretta delightedly analyze the scandals and dramas of their favorite TV shows, just as some of my friends do over lunch hour. The way Juanita carries herself, laughs, and speaks reminds me strongly of one of my aunts. Patricia wears a floral perfume that smells just like my grandmother’s.
These little realizations make it much easier just to sit down and initiate a conversation with these women, even if (like me) you’re a wretched conversationalist…you realize just how much you have in common with the ladies of N Street Village. Emily quickly bonds with a few women watching TV through episodes of “Desperate Housewives” and “CSI: Miami”. I strike up a very enjoyable two-hour conversation with a woman named Rhonda. We discuss our hometowns, our families, her college experience at Lincoln University, and the year she studied abroad in Taiwan. We laugh over all the different types of people it takes to “turn the world”. We bond over our love of Indian food and the fact that in our lifetimes, we’ve both lost beloved women who wanted to be veterinarians and send us signs through butterflies.
I enjoy the conversation immensely, and throughout our talk, I keep remembering how many of the women interviewed in Elliot Liebow’s “Tell Them Who I Am” simply want, much of the time, someone to talk to (or just for someone to listen).
Overall, the night goes smoothly: lights are out by midnight, all the women are in bed, there’s a calmness in the shelter brought on by the good news that the next day’s a holiday schedule, which means that wake-up is an hour later than usual. The next morning’s a little more chaotic: Bethany’s House is running a few early-morning programs that don’t coincide with N Street’s holiday schedule, and a lot of the women get up and go about their morning routines earlier than we expect, which means that Emily and I are opening up the dining room about twenty minutes early and sitting around somewhat uselessly as the ladies trickle into the office to take their medications.
The reason we’re sitting around somewhat uselessly is that the women are once again defying my stereotypes: other than unlocking doors and cabinets and signing off on their med forms, we’re not really needed for anything, as all the women are distinctly self-reliant. They’re getting their things around for the day, curling their hair and ironing their clothes, preparing for work. Some of the women leave for an early run with a group from Bethany’s, while others sit in the dining room and sip coffee, talking and teasing one another. These ladies are far more collected and put together than I expected: the majority of them would not be recognizably homeless on the streets. A few have consistent, stable jobs; several are college educated and are remarkably eloquent.
Ultimately, the most significant lesson I come away with when I leave the shelter and return downstairs is how effectively stereotypes can color our perception of others, and how these stereotypes generally fail to mention how similar we are to those about whom these generalizations are made…it’s an eye-opening experience, to say the least.
Cupcake Decorating
(download)
Today it was my turn to participate in the shelter activities. Sarah, Jess, Alex and myself went upstairs around 7:30pm to decorate cupcakes we had baked earlier with the women living in the shelter. At first I was nervous about how it would go because when we walked in the women were still eating dinner and didn’t seem interested in the cupcakes. After one woman showed interest the rest followed and it turned out to be a really fun time.
The women used candy, icing, sprinkles, and gummies to decorate the cupcakes. One woman who used to be a professional chef decorated the cupcake really well and it was clear that cake decorating was something she missed. She explained that when the economy took a turn many of her clients couldn’t afford her services anymore and then she eventually became homeless. I felt for her because I’m sure this activity reminded her of her old life and brought back a lot of bittersweet memories.
Another woman that I talked to was from Indonesia. Her story really struck me because she had three sisters, who she was very close with, living in the DC area but rather than be dependent on them she decided to live in the shelter and try to find work so she could support herself. She had such a positive outlook on her situation and I really admired her attitude. She also acknowledged how lucky she was to have her sisters in the area because so many people have no one to lean on if they needed to. This relates to the kin network we learned about in class. Even though she was homeless she still had a strong kin network available and I think that was one of the reasons she had such a great attitude. It is a contrast to the people we met who have suffered from depression and most of them had no family around them.
The experience turned into much more than just decorating cupcakes. I learned so much about how the women take each day and try to improve their lives. I left the activity with a lot of admiration for all of the women and I can’t believe how strong they can be in their situation.
