Thread: Homeless People

Talk to them like you would anyone else. They are just like you except they don't have a home.

I think its great that you guys are doing this! If you are really unsure of what to say then I would reccommend open ended questions..that will help conversation flow. Then you can follow their lead. I would talk to them just like I talk to anybody...of course thats easy coming from me...I have a gift to gab and could easily drive someone nuts with my endless chatter!

Today was a very rewarding experience. I think last night I was worried about upsetting someone if we said something about family or whatever to them, and they had had a bad family experience. I met some amazing, beautiful people today....I took some pictures today, and they had some of the greatest smiles. Thank you to everyone who replied to me in the thread.

I'm glad it was a rewarding experience for you.

Oh, how wonderful that it went well. Did they have the large turnout as expected?

You can make a comment about the weather. Since it is changing seasons this would be an ideal conversation opener. Or sometimes just a genuine smile and hello is all it takes to make a difference in someone's life.

Most of these folks just need to know someone cares about them and when they know that then it becomes contagious and they start feeling better about themselves and looking for ways to change what is going on in their lives. I commend you all for taking time out of your day to help those less fortunate.

Originally Posted by Anniston

Oh, how wonderful that it went well. Did they have the large turnout as expected?

Here is a site with video of the place we went first


http://web.mac.com/hopefaithministri...h/Welcome.html

Then afterwards, because they werent expecting to get lunch on weekends, Only breakfast, we had about 1/2 what was expected, so around 250. Afterwards we went further by the river to where some people camp outside all the time and took them some food too. The church fixed spaghetti (150 lbs), green beans, corn, rolls with butter, and pineapple.

This ministry is only able to be open Tuesday thru Saturday morning, unless other organizations come in to help. So a lot of these people are on their own to find food after Saturday breakfast until Tuesday morning. There was one guy who really got to me. We got there early enough to help serve breakfast, and I love the fact that this mission gives as much as the people want to eat until its gone. So, I was helping serve doughnuts, and this guy, had to be late teens at the most, came up, They wear name tags, it can be whatever name they want to use, I saw his name, he was a very good looking young man, very nice.....and my heart broke when he only took one of the doughnuts, and I asked if he would like more, there was plenty available....and he was so grateful, and said, thank you, I haven't had much to eat....I will remember him for a long time.

There has only been one other person who has affected me like that, and he was a young man I met when I was in a hospital for depression about 8 years ago. I still wonder and think about Kyle.....and wonder what happened to him. Its like an empty spot because he was part of me during that time, 2 months, and he was so young, and so many issues then. I hope he made it okay. :-(