Carol Samson's WRIT 1133 Class

Project Homeless Connect Reflection
Hamza Ali

I woke to the deafening sound of my alarm on my cell phone, similar to the way I do it every day; however, this morning it was particularly early, and I did not mind at all because it was in fact to help someone in need. I washed up and got ready for the day in front of me; in the back of my mind I was nervous for I did not know if I would be of great help to the individuals I would be aiding, but I would try my best. As I was walking over to the location of Project Homeless Connect, it struck me how were the homeless individuals preparing for this day? Definitely not like I was, bathing and putting on a fresh set of clothes and going there to help someone receive benefits that they have been longing for. The homeless, on the other hand, would have prepared for and been looking forward to this day in a completely different manner, waking up in the same clothes they had been in since goodness knows when and making their way to the project from a shelter or perhaps a street corner which provided them less than sufficient refuge. Even though my situation was so different from those individuals, I came to a conclusion that this day was structured for the sole purpose of helping people; and I was pleased that I was going to be a part of that.

I got to the site where the volunteers were going to meet their partners for the day early and got in line to be paired up. I saw a few familiar faces as I was waiting in line on a set of stairs leading up to the building where this event for humanity was going to take place. I located a few familiar faces. They too were anxious, however not in a negative manner but eager to do their part in helping the less fortunate. This gave me a sense of comfort as I was in the midst of my University of Denver peers, going through the same emotional state as they were and eager to get going. I was impressed by how quickly volunteers were getting paired up with their partners; it was a quick introduction by the station manager and then off you were. I was introduced to my partner as swiftly as everybody else; and then it was up to me to see that this man, John Doe, was helped and taken care of. This was a lot of responsibility, but one that I felt I was adequate and eager to fulfill.
 
John Doe was a weathered middle-aged man who had brought what looked like all of his belongings to this event. It was a warm day and he wrapped tight in two winter jackets, a sweater, a shirt and a t-shirt. Along with all this apparel, he carried two shoulder bags in which I later found out were things that he needed for survival. After the initial meeting and greeting stage, and several trips to the coffee and juice stations by John Doe, we made our way to the employment section because I had discovered that John Doe was eager to start working and making his way through life without having to depend on food stamps, shelters, and irregular daily paychecks. We were the first people in the resume lab, which was lucky because it was buzzing as the day progressed. Here as the gentleman who helped John Doe with his resume, I found out that he was an army veteran who had traveled the world while he was in service and seen what only soldiers do. Along with extensive army experience, he was experienced with many skills that are vital in the construction industry. After his veteran registry and a trip to the interview skills booth, John Doe at the job fair actually managed to line up three job interviews for the following week. All of this was relatively surprising for me. Why was he not able to do this before? Was it because him along with all these other homeless individuals just needed a helping hand? Then, we made our way to the medical section where we had to go outside to the Stout Street Clinics station which was modeled within the frame of a bus. Here John Doe received several medications to help with his high blood pressure and constant migraines. This took a considerable amount of time but only because so many other individuals needed to get their own problems dealt with as well. Finally, John Doe and I went and got information about food stamps and housing that he could later utilize for survival. After this, I said my goodbyes to Mr. John Doe; and he thanked me several times for spending the better part of seven hours in making sure he gets all that he can in this time period.

It was not what I was able to help John Doe get that struck me the hardest; it was what he did not have in life. John Doe was separated from his wife who had taken their three girls with her to another city. John Doe said he did not know exactly why she had left. He said, She has left me in the dark. With no family, no money, no home, and no job, John Doe still found it in himself to constantly joke around with not only me but with everyone he saw that day. He identified three volunteers as the day progressed as reminders of his three daughters. He greeted those three girls and asked him how their days were going and slipped in a humorous comment along the way as well. For me, John Doe was a true testament to humanity, that even without a lot of possessions and human connections he did not let it get in the way of him being a delightful individual. Right when we met each other and were getting breakfast and getting to know each other, Eat your breakfast first son he said to me.

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