Service Learning #2-PHC

I awoke at 7:15, eager for the experience ahead of me. As I got ready, I wondered what the day would hold in store for me. At 8:00, I begin to walk over to the Ritchie Center with my friend’s Mom. I look over at her and smile to myself. She is wearing a heavy fleece coat and gloves while I am only in a t-shirt. The forecast says it will be 70 degrees today. . What I do not realize is that she will not be the last person I see dressed for the cold. We arrive and check-in receiving our clipboards and then being instructed to wait in line along the stairs. Forty minutes later, the buses arrive and the clients begin to file out. They are mostly men, but there are also couples, families, and young adults about my age. Many carry bags or push strollers filled with their only possessions, and near all are wearing heavier coats. Though it is a nice morning, the afternoon would bring colder weather.
As the clients line up alongside the volunteers, the two groups do not interact even though they are only two feet from one another. As I finally reach the top of the stairs, I am paired up with an African American man in his mid 50s named Joe. During our big introduction, Joe barely takes his headphones off to say hello and rushes forward, not even waiting for me to say hi back. I rush to catch up with him, saying that we need to fill out some paperwork and asking him if he wants breakfast. He stops and looks back, still with his headphones on. He says no to breakfast and no to the bag check (he is carrying one backpack and a newspaper). He then pushes forward, only stopping for a brief two minutes when he fills out the forms. We soon enter the field house and it seems that we are some of the first to arrive. Joe instantly notes that housing already has a line. “Come with me,” he says and we walk to that designated area. Joe goes up to the lady in charge and asks for a number, while I stand behind, still looking at the volunteer map and trying to find where we are. The next moment, Joe is back at my side and telling me that we will go to employment while we wait. He is a veteran so we find the correct line. I stand aside, only half listening to his conversation with the lady. I am unsure how much either one of us is comfortable knowing and sharing. Twenty minutes later, Joe stands up and tells me he has received a few phone numbers where he can cook or do janitorial services, similar to some of the jobs he has held in the past.
Next, we walk over to the housing section where we still have twenty people in front of us. He says he would like to go outside a smoke. I said I would come with him and the two of us found a seat outside amongst numerous other clients. He began asking me questions about myself: where was I from and what was I studying? Soon, I felt comfortable enough to get to know him and I learned that he was from Louisiana, but that he had been in Denver for ten years (five of which is form indicated that he had been homeless). I also learned that he served in the army and that he had one son who was older. Soon, we needed to go back inside, but this time, walking into the field house, I felt much happier to have Joe as my client.
When we finally had our number called, we were told to sit at a round table where a man with forms interviewed us asking a lot of questions about Joe’s current situation. When we were finished with this part, we had to go and wait in another line for about thirty minutes more. Next, we talked to another lady who filled out more forms about Joe’s life. In the end, we found that the housing station was not actually giving out housing contracts, but only referrals. Joe seemed frustrated, saying that it was a waste of time to wait in line. All he received was a few phone numbers of different emergency shelters, but because he could not afford monthly housing, there was not much else that they could provide for them.
After this, Joe was ready to head out. He said he had a few places he wanted to stop by that afternoon. I made sure he received a lunch and an amenities bag before we parted ways. He thanked me for my help and said that he enjoyed his time with me. I felt good that at least part of his day had been pleasant.
My next client was named Frank. Frank was a truly fascinating person, not actually having a permanent place of residence. He was originally from South Dakota, but he had lived in Hawaii most recently. However, that very morning, he had arrived in Denver via bus from New Mexico. He said he had helped out a friend do some house renovations and now he was just on the move again and that this was his first time in Colorado. When I looked at his form, his last permanent residence involved camping. What a different life this man led from my very own.
Since Frank arrived much later in the afternoon, many places were closing up. He had mentioned that he wanted to get a hair cut, but by the time we got there, it was much too late. Still, he did find success in getting a renewed license and birth certificate. I think that even thought he did not mind not having an address, it was important that he still had a sense of identity. After waiting at this station, we found that there was no where else he really needed to go. He already had a referral to stay at a shelter for the night and he had already eaten lunch. Before I walked Frank to his bus, I made sure he also received an amenity bag. When I said goodbye, I told him good luck with everything. After leaving him, I found that there were no more clients, so I decided to head home.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Project Homeless Connect. Personally, I grew in my knowledge of the homeless. In getting to know to men who were in this situation, I learned that life can sometimes just turn around for the worse. Both had indicated on the forms that bad credit and a loss of jobs was the reason they were homeless. Still, I found that both were kind-hearted and optimistic. Also, I discovered that before this experience, I just assumed most homeless people were either entirely or partially illiterate. However, both my clients were able to fill out their own forms. In a way, I felt that I was being degrading by filling out the forms for two humans who were perfectly capable of doing it themselves. Though having the clients fill out their forms was not exactly how the staff wanted it to be done, I felt that this helped me feel more comfortable and relaxed with my clients.
I also feel more willing to volunteer in the community. I now understand that the public good does not necessarily refer to the image of for instance the city of Denver. Instead, this phrase more refers to the good of the citizens. Volunteering will help those in my community who are less fortunate. This experience showed me that my time is valuable to those who need it. It was a life-changing event that helped me see how others live and also observe first-hand some of the situations I have read about in class. I look forward to helping again next year and learning more about the lives of different people.