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My Experiences at the Shelter |
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Reflective Journal |
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This is a brief description of my wonderful experience volunteering at a P.O.R.T. homeless shelter.�� P.O.R.T stands for "People Offering Resources Together" and they are just one small subdivision of the "Living Interfaith Network" (LINK).� |
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The first night I arrived two hours early at the shelter.� I was leery of traveling in the dark to an unfamiliar place.� Parkview United Methodist Church was the destination. It was located off Briarfield road in Newport News.� My eight-year-old son Jared accompanied me.� While we waited, he used the last hours of sunlight to whiz around the parking lot on the skates he received for his birthday.� |
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A couple hours later, the doors opened and an elderly gentleman, who was busy fixing a broken coffee maker, greeted us.� As we waited for the other volunteers to arrive, we were given a tour of the church.� We saw a small kitchen, a moderately sized fellowship hall filled with foam mattresses, and several blocked off passageways.� In the fellowship hall, we noticed an old television set and several stacks of heavy woolen blankets.� |
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A short while later, Louise Moore and her grandson Lee arrived.� Louise is the organizer of this church's P.O.R.T program.�� I found her to be quite pleasant.� Louise had broken her hip several months ago and is forced to use a walker.� Soon afterward, Len arrived.��� Len is a man in his early fifties who volunteers every night.� I liked him instantly.� He was funny, kind and very pleasant.� His physical appearance reminded me of Morgan Freeman.� I am not sure if Mr. Freeman has a brother, but Len definitely fit the bill.� |
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Jared and fifteen-year-old Lee became fast friends.� Our prep routine was to mark clear trash bags with numbers.� The numbers would correspond to the owner's nametag.�� We collected the guest's belongings and placed them in these bags.��� We locked them in the back hallway.� Lee did not hesitate to show Jared "the ropes." � Before long, Jared was the "bag boy."� At six o'clock sharp, the first guests arrived.�� To enter, they had to show valid identification and not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.�� My job was to sign in the guests and check their belongings.� I had to take the name, social security number and age of all those entering and record the information into the log.� |
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While the check in process commenced, members of other churches arrived with food.� I learned that every night a different church would provide the meal.� On this first night, it was Ashbury Baptist Church.� The kitchen was a whirling mass of older ladies; the men had the task of frying fish on the tailgate of an old pickup that they had parked outside the kitchen's backdoor.� The Ashbury youth group had the job of serving the meal.� There was no shortage of help this night.�� Looking back, I am glad because it gave me the opportunity to watch and learn.�� While we cleaned up after the supper meal, the guests grabbed their mattresses.� The women had a separate room to sleep in.�� |
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For the rest of the evening we played cards, watched television and talked.� Jared became distraught when we learned that children must be at least fourteen to stay overnight as volunteers, so I could not stay the first night.� At the ten o'clock lights out, I dragged Jared's tired little body out to the car.� He slept all the way home.� |
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The other nights at the shelter went as the first one with check-ins, food deliveries and many guests.� Jared stayed at home or spent the night with friends.� Many of the faces from the previous days returned.� I helped heat food, serve the guests and clean up.� The time passed quickly.� The highlight of one evening was when a young, teen-helper played her violin for the crowd.� It was not long before the 9:00 pm shift arrived.�� Night shift was the hardest.� I had to stay awake for the entire night.� Normally, a volunteer would only work a few hours.� In the interest of my time constraints, I chose to do the long haul.�� At 2:00 am, a new group of volunteers came to relieve the the second shift.� At 5:30 the breakfast team arrived.� By this time I was pretty tired.�� I usually left shortly after breakfast.�� |
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The time I spent volunteering passed very quickly.� The expierence was something I will never forget.� �The time Jared and I �spent together at that shelter, we will always treasure. ��I am so glad we had this opportunity to help other people �and I hope we never take for granted all the wonderful blessings God sends us. ���� |
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