The calls kept coming. In just three hours, five were from
people seeking shelter, a safe place for their children, and a
way out of a desperate situation. The calls were from men and
women, mothers and fathers who were at the end of their
line and out of options. The callers sounded scared, worried,
and ashamed. But for every call for help, there were many
more calls to serve. People in our community stepping beyond
their comfort zones to drive out to a homeless shelter on
Roosevelt Road in the rain on a Monday night to bring soup
and rolls, to volunteer in our Learning Center, to tutor a
child, or to bring Christmas gifts.
It was a late night for me, having not gotten much done during
those three hours of answering the phone. I went over to the
Shelter around 8 p.m. to get a bowl of that soup that sounded
so good. I rounded the corner on my way to the kitchen and
saw two new faces. A handsome young man and his mom.
“Are you new?” I asked.
“Yes, we just came in today. This is my
son. He‟s 12.”
“Did you make it in time for dinner?” I said.
“We did. It was delicious. Thank you so much.”
The people on the phone were here: the dinner servers, the
families in need. And while that first day is always tough on
our new residents—it‟s hard to come to grips with being
homeless for the first time—I knew that they had felt love
and kindness and hospitality because of the service of others.
What a perfect way to start this season.