Hunger and Homelessness Panel

It is currently Hunger and Homelessness Awareness, and as usual, Campus Kitchen at Elon University has many informative events planned, from the annual Turkey Trot to documentary screenings.  I attended one event last year that was especially powerful and inspiring, so I made a special effort go this year as well.  This event was the Faces of Homelessness Panel, where three homeless people are brought in to discuss their experiences with homelessness and to dispel any preconceived notions that we may have about the issue.

Michael Stoops, the community organizer for the National Coalition for the Homeless, kicked off this event by giving startling facts about homelessness.  After this brief introduction, he passed off the microphone to the first of the panelists, and the best part of the presentation began.

First, John Harrison Jr. spoke.  He recounted his experiences without any reservations, engaging us with questions about stereotypes of homeless people and even making jokes about it.  He talked about how he was in denial that he needed help, keeping to himself without looking to anyone else.  He emphasized the power of a kind word, a friendly smile, and a helping hand.  To someone who has nothing, these things mean everything.

Next, Deja told her story.  She is only seventeen years old, and spoke about how she became homeless when she was thirteen.  Her perspective was different, as she had been homeless throughout her crazy teenage years and had to balance that with school, friends, and growing up.  She highlighted the importance that teachers had in her life – even though they did not know her whole story, the fact that they were there for her when it came to schoolwork and reassurance meant the world to her.  She told us that she had applied to Elon, so everyone in the audience was rooting for her to get in and attend Elon next year.

Finally, Resurrection talked to us about her experiences.  She is a single mother who has a degree in massage therapy and even started her own massage center.  It was very successful, but instead of living paycheck to paycheck, she was living client to client.  When times got hard, she had no way of getting extra cash and she had to close her hard-earned business.  She openly talked about how she was sexually abused when she was younger, and how that is often the case with single, homeless mothers.  She has started her own organization that helps people overcome child sexual abuse, homelessness, and poverty.  Just from the way that she spoke, it was obvious that she had such a good-natured and optimistic personality, and it warmed the room.  It was incredible to see that she has stayed so positive despite her life’s tremendous obstacles.

After each of the panelists spoke, the floor was opened up to questions from the audience.  One question that I found particularly intriguing was concerning the role that religion and spirituality played in their lives throughout the time that they were homeless.  John said that his faith was made stronger by others whose faith had drawn them toward helping him overcome his rough times.  The tests along the way, in turn, served to strengthen his faith.  Deja said that homelessness now seems like it was a blessing because of the lessons that it taught her, and she stressed the fact that she never really felt alone.  Resurrection never questioned God’s plan for her, and never wavered in her faith.  Her faith has now drawn her to help others.  Faith plays such a big role in homelessness and how people overcome it, and it was interesting to hear the different perspectives on this topic.

At the very end of the panel discussion, there was a plot twist that no one in the audience were expecting – Deja was Resurrection’s daughter.  After hearing their stories separately, it was interesting to then think back to them and to see how they intertwined.  To see how far they have come was incredibly inspiring.  The three panelists were very courageous to share what they did, and hearing them speak gave me a new perspective on this.  I’m grateful that they were so open and matter-of-fact about this issue that plagues our world.  It reminded me can’t just think about the homeless around the holidays – we need to stay informed about the topic and help year-round.