Abi: Journal 8

Day 8 (November 9):

Today we visited the Sparrows's Nest, which is a part of Cherry St. Mission for battered women to have a place to stay. I was really looking forward to finally interacting with people directly! And I got to do that today, and met some really nice people. It felt good to keep some of the girls company because I could tell that they were so sick of laying around, doing nothing. One of the women I talked to seemed so upset that she wasn't able to get out of the house and do something different. Most of them seemed really shaky and depressed. I will never forget the girls I talked to and I really hope I can go back and help out again! The only thing that made have mixed feelings is when I served people, and they kept asking for more, even though I was asked to only give a certain amount. I couldn't help but give them more, because I would have left with so much guilt knowing that I didn't satisfy someone who was in need. Also, it certainly wasn't pleasant to literally watch people throw out the food we served. Some women even made it a point that they weren't satisfied or that they didn't like the food by slamming plates down! When they are handed food to eat, I was expecting them to not even leave a crumb. But I can also understand where they are coming from, knowing that they have allot of stress over them. When I had a conversation with an older woman, she told me that she's not getting by so easy these days because she's having trouble with the "Ready-For-Life" program and it was put allot of stress on her. I realized that these women have so much to think about: their kids, their family, their health, and most of all, their future. One thing that made me feel really sad was seeing their bathrooms and the environment they lived in. I know that some of the women have been living in the home for 3 years, and in those conditions! The bathrooms were very unsanitary. There was no soap in any dispensers, and not even a single paper towel. All the showers were rusty, and the floors even looked moldy. The living room only had a couple of small couches, a small tv, and a very small dining room that had to fit 30 people. Paint was coming off walls and it always either smelled like smoke, or mold in the house. If I had the money, I would definitely invest in getting them the correct materials to make it a nicer place to stay in. I was so happy that i could experience this because I will never forget what I saw, and who I met today.

By: Abi Raj