Homeless Outreach: A Volunteer's Perspective

BY ANDIE KINCAID, DRR VOLUNTEER...FOLLOWING THE NOVEMBER 14TH HOMELESS OUTREACH

Saturday was, for me, the best yet. I feel like I'm getting more and more comfortable every week. After talking to Jay when we'd first arrived this week, I made the personal resolution that it would be better to offend someone by saying something ignorant in my conversation with them then insult them by not attempting to talk to them at all and, thus, ignoring them. After that, I had the opportunity to talk with three different people.

- Nacy, 23 from Mississippi who has a 2 year daughter Jeanay who lives with her grandma. She was sitting behind us on the bench with the pink winnie the pooh jacket. I've seen her before, but I can't wait until next week to go back and remember her name and ask about her daughter.

- I also spent a long time speaking with Colleen. I think she was the woman that Jen Manhart said she'd been speaking with. It was a blessing to play with her precious children who were very much just typical kids who happen to not have a home.

- And thirdly was a man who couldn't speak or respond to us. We decided to call him brother, which he nodded to in approval. He had the coolest bible that I've ever had the privilege of holding and reading from; well warn from travel and study, water warped pages and crinkled covers, but you could just tell it was a dearly cherished possession. We read him scripture that he pointed to, several which were about God providing for/protecting the poor, homeless, and rejected. It was so powerful, a conversation a won't ever forget. He was so desperate for someone to just talk with him, and be close to him...