I want to share a quick story about an experience I had the other day.
I was walking out of a store and a man approached me asking if I had any cash to share. I did not, but I did have Bombas socks in my car. I asked if he would like a pair. He said he would so I proceeded to ask him to walk with me back to my car. We chatted for a moment. As we approached my car, he told me that he had four children. I opened the trunk and gave him a couple of pairs of socks. He was so happy to receive them and thanked me and walked away.
I proceeded to head to the next store. I noticed a woman who kept looking at me, as I am sure she was wondering why I was talking to a person living on the streets. I could feel her stare the whole time I was in the store. I completely understood. I was that person before I started to volunteer.
That evening, I thought about the day and what had transpired. I think the most important thing that happened that day was that a man, who was obviously struggling, was able to be seen, heard and understood, if only for a moment.
I have learned so much working with Volunteer Network OC. I do hope that as more of us learn and understand that things are not always what they seem and that everyone has story, we can come together as a community and help those who are struggling.
These are some of the facts that I have recently learned:
- 1 in 6 homeless Americans is a child
- Most homeless Americans have a job; in fact, they often have more than one job
- 1.1 million American students are homeless
These are just a few of the facts. If you would like to learn more, please go to www.BeeBetter.com. If you would like to volunteer, please visit www.volunteernetworkoc.org or download the Volunteer Network OC app.
Changing how we think and speak about homelessness is a small step toward big change.
~Bombas
