Project Homeless Connect
On November 20, 2008, Homeward of Richmond presented the national Project Homeless Connect for another year. The Project is a huge even in which people experiencing housing problems and other issues associated with it can go to receive help. There was a dentist, an optometrist, lawyers, shelters, transitional housing reps, AA and NA meetings, haircuts, and so many other organizations. I had the pleasure of being a volunteer navigator and the experience was amazing. I worked one on one with people experiencing homelessness and spoke to them candidly about how they came to that point.
My first job was to help a 65 year old African American man. He was a registered nurse who lost his job after having a stroke and losing the ability to use his right arm. He was currently staying at the Salvation Army but had no source of income. Even in his dismal situation, he is one of the most optimistic and spiritual people I have ever met. We spent 45 minutes talking over fried chicken and lemonade and I learned so much in that short amount of time.
My most profound experience was with a 28 year old women who only made it to the 9th grade before dropping out. She was a drug addict and had lost custody of her children because of it. She could barely spell and so I filled out her paperwork for her. With no money to her name and no place to stay that night, I knew there was a lot of work to be done. As we walked around to each station, the woman began to make me nervous as she shivered from an unknown breeze and scratched at a persistent inch. Then I know there was a problem when she said “So my friend has this gun and this one time I think about just going ‘bang bang’ to end it all. It just be too much”. To make a long story short, I took her to the crisis unit where they deemed her suicidal and took her off to the hospital. The congratulations on leading her toward help are still not enough to shake away the feeling I had.
From 8 am to 2:30 pm, I met many people and heard many stories. Throughout the entire day, I felt truly grateful for everything I have and I realized I have nothing to complain about in my life. I wish more Richmond students would have participated because it was a humbling experience. I hope I have the opportunity to participate next year and in more programs like it.