On Thursday, we finished the clothes closet. It felt so great to finish such a large undertaking of a project. We finished early so those working on the closet helped to serve. I'm really getting used to incorporating serving into my schedule and interacting with the clients. It'll be sad leaving Atlanta at the end of the end of the week. After volunteering on Thursday, our group went to the aquarium. We then had dinner with a congregation member's family. It was really cute to have their two daughters ask us about college life.
On Friday, we had our last morning at Café 458. Everyone was in the kitchen today so it was nice to work as a team. Also, the Café was out of deserts so Abby and I decided we wanted to run to the store and make a donation so everyone could have desert on the last day. It was amazing to see how well I had gotten to know the clients, just in a short weeks span. It was sad to tell them that we would not being seeing them next week.
Volunteering ended with kind words and more information about the organization. The lead volunteer told us that we were the best and most hardworking group of college students which felt really nice to hear. Allison, the volunteer coordinator, ended by telling us information we may not have picked up in the past week. One amazing fact was that the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency serves 500-600 people in a year. Also, their CareerWorks program has 75% of participants find a job before graduating the program and having that job turn into a long-term career. They believe that teaching self-respect is key to that success. Allison also talked about the process when they take in new clients, which can be as often as every week. The first thing they do is find temporary house and eventually they move clients to permanent housing. They even help non-clients find permanent housing, often by providing loans for down payments.
I am so thankful for this alternative break because I feel as if I have learned so much and grown in my understanding of homelessness. Every client so desperately wants to change their situation in life. Not one of them wants to be a charity case, but to be respected. Everyone can go through tough times in life and it is crucial that those more fortunate fight for their justice, respect, and opportunity.
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