The other day I was listening to a podcast on NPR. It featured a journalist talking about how once a week for 4 years she bought this friend of hers lunch in exchange for him talking to her about his life and the lives of his peers for a book she was writing. They would meet at the same restaurant each week where their regular server greeted them warmly and sat them at their usual table. They would sit and eat and she would tape record him as he told her stories of events that took place since their last meeting. The man sounded thoughtful and well-spoken. When the podcast began I figured he was somehow famous or maybe ran in notorious circles or something. Then they dropped the big surprise on us…it turns out this man was homeless. The journalist had met him on the street one day several years ago and chatted with him for a few minutes before discovering with shock that he lives on the streets of Boston, and had for several years. He appeared clean and groomed. The only sign of him being different from you or me was that he carried around a smallish box containing what she came to find out were all his worldly possessions.
Now while the podcast itself was certainly interesting, the thing that struck me the most about it was that this lady had made a decision to become actively involved in helping someone else out. Once a week every week this man got a hot meal in a warm restaurant. And perhaps even more valuable was that once a week he was really seen by someone and treated like a human being. I can think of dozens of time I have gone walking down the street past homeless people and pretended I didn’t see them. What would life be like if the whole world acted like you didn’t exist when you were standing right in front of them? I can’t imagine how that would feel day after day. So this journalist really got me thinking about things. Her giving was somewhat monetary, but also was in the form of her time. She took time every week to acknowledge someone in need. What if we all tried to bring just a little more generosity into our lives?
Times are hard right now for many people. Those of us who still have warm homes, hot food, and loved ones around us are truly blessed. There are so many ways to help out others in need. Certainly if you are in a position to donate money to whatever cause you’re passionate about, that is wonderful, but lately I’ve realized more and more that you can also help in other ways. You can volunteer your time at a local organization or participate in an event like a run for charity. Even simpler might be to look around your own home. If you’re like me you continue to accumulate things in your home at an almost staggering rate. Our linen closets virtually overflow with sheets and towels. Extra bowls and dishes are stacked high in our kitchen cabinets. Do your kids have shelves of toys they haven’t touched in ages? I look around my house at these things that literally NEVER get used by us and it dawns on me. My life would not be negatively affected one tiny bit if I loaded up all this stuff and took it to one of my local shelters, but these “extra” things of mine that are just gathering dust on shelves might make an enormous difference for a family who has nothing to call their own. How much easier could helping someone else be?
Kristina Goetz
iGivefirst Project Manager