This page is a compilation of quotes written by our volunteers during the 2010-11 academic year about their experiences on the Outreach Van. All names (volunteers and clients) have been changed for privacy purposes.
“A home is something many people take for granted. It is so much more than just a name of a structure, it is a place where we can keep our valuables without fear of robbery, a place where we can keep warm or keep cool, a place we can retreat to if anything were to go wrong, a place where we feel safe, a place where people know they can always reach us, and a place which forms the foundation upon which we build the rest of our lives.”
“One man who made a weekly appearance beamed with pride as he spoke of his 11-year-old daughter’s academic skills. “She’s already reading at a high school level!” he exclaimed proudly. We may think of homeless people as wanderers, people without goals and without drive. And perhaps for some this is true. But others have aspirations and, like any other parents, want for their children what they never had, or what they had and lost.”
“Every week that I go out on the Van, most everyone expresses their gratitude with a “Thank You” and “God Bless You,” and many people (often the same people each week!) give a speech about how thankful they are they we take time out of our lives to come and help them. I wish I could convince them that they are really the ones helping us – they help us learn to be better listeners, better caregivers, and better people in a way that school does not.”
“These “homeless” people were not nobodies, not part of an alternative society. They were just like us, with families, wives, kids, looking for that next job, waiting out this last hardship. They came to us for support, for food and medical advice, and for clothing.”
“It has enabled me to have conversations with homeless people and learn about their lives and needs as I’ve never done before. Through these conversations I’ve learned that these homeless people are just that, they’re people.”
“What most surprised me on my first trip out on the van (though in retrospect, I’m not sure why) is that many of the clients are not homeless, but see the van as another of the many social services that they rely upon to remain housed.”
“He came a bit later in the evening and unfortunately at the time we were all out of groceries, except for a small container of oatmeal holding several servings. He took the oatmeal and did not make any complaints about us running out of groceries. In fact, he still maintained a slight smile, gave a pleasant ‘thank you’ and then just talked about the night. He mentioned that although it always seems like he is looking for food, he is very thankful for having a roof over his head…. While telling me all of this, he still maintained a smile on his face. He did not seem angry with his situation, and wasn’t spending the night blaming others for his misfortune.”
“What I learned was that it wasn’t my job to find out exactly how he had become homeless or why exactly he and his daughter had a rocky relationship. There was no way I’d know what the right thing to say was even if he had told me more. It was the act of being able to relate to him that was important and that I think that’s what he cared about. This is what I believe the first step of outreach should be.”
“My experience on the Outreach Van has had its ups and downs. There have been many instances where I’ve been proud of the contributions I am making, and the will power of our group to help the people who frequent our van. Other times, I’ve felt overwhelmed by feelings of guilt for the life I take for granted and feel helpless in making these people’s lives better. It has been a difficult moral struggle for me every time I visit East Boston on the van.”
“For a multitude of reasons, the clients that OVP serve and the homeless in general are chronically marginalized. Worse yet, when they are not overlooked, they are the victims of verbal, physical and/or psychological abuse, even amongst one another. This vicious cycle reinforces the initial trauma or the series of events that caused them to be homeless. Fear, misgivings and low self-esteem prevents them from following-up with appointments with case workers or when seeking medical care. In response, the organizational philosophy of OVP aims to engage this neglected population in East Boston by being a consistent presence in their neighborhood.”
“Sarah went on to explain to me the effect that Rheumatoid Arthritis had had on her livelihood. She had been trained as a massage therapist, a skill she was very proud of and a good way to earn an income. The trouble was that as her arthritic symptoms intensified she became physically unable to work with her hands- it was just too painful to continue in this line of work. She told me about her children- two boys, the first of which she had had when she was a teenager, and was now grown up to be a tall, strong 26 year old man. She was proud of her family and spoke of her sons with joy. When it came to her financial situation, she was less positive, she lived week-to-week and shared a small apartment with a room mate, paying about $200 each month to stay there. Beyond that expense, there wasn’t much money left for food, which is why she was glad to come out and see us once in a while for a free meal.”
“The last time I went out on the van, I noticed that Bob was a bit down that night; he was more quiet than usual and actually sat alone on one of the park benches located slightly away from the group, a change for him as he usually joins in the conversation with the students. I went over to ask him what was wrong, he said that work had been stressful lately and proceeded to tell me about his job and his frustrations with his boss; although I could not do much, he seemed relieved to have someone who was willing to listen. I, in turn, was touched that he had felt comfortable enough with me to share his problems; several months ago, before we had known each other’s names, that would not have been the case.”
“Tangible goods may provide peace for a few moments, but giving people the opportunity to express their needs can have much better long-term results. OVP gives us the opportunity to do both. Even though as students we may not be able to provide all of the necessary medical care, we are able to form relationships with people who may someday feel comfortable enough to trust us and to allow us to support them emotionally.”
“Those icy months were by far the most humbling experience of my life. While I whined about inconveniences such as completing the medical school application process or undependable public transportation, the people I met on Thursday nights were fighting frostbite and struggling to stay alive. They faced more adversity in a day than I likely have in my life, yet they still managed to smile and never let out a complaint. I was constantly in awe of their courage and felt like I learned more during each 2 hour trip than any lecture.”
“Basically, he pointed out that just a few poor decisions or a little bad luck separated us from the people we were serving. I thought about my circumstances and how I have been almost completely financially dependent on my parents. If I lost their support or they became incapable of providing for me, then I am lucky to have friends and extended family that I know would come to my aid. But, I couldn’t expect the same unconditional assistance and what if my situation became even more complicated, such as if my health deteriorated or I began to suffer from an incapacitating addiction? As different as our lives seemed from those we sought to help, it wasn’t difficult to fathom how quickly I could end up on the other side of the soup table.”
“I’ve felt many emotions while being out on the van. I’ve been shocked, sad, elated, comforted, and scared. I’ve been offered a vista into a world I may never have seen, and it has continued to change my perspective on healthcare.”
“Prior to going out on the van, my idea of what it means to be “homeless” was pretty narrow-minded, restricted primarily to those individuals who lived under bridges or in cardboard boxes, pushing all of their worldly possessions around in a shopping cart. I quickly found that that population is actually a minority of those without a personal residence. Many, many others are forced to line up in the early afternoon for a bed in a shelter, are transiently housed in motels or respites or forced to double up with family or friends. From my experience, it seems like these were the individuals whom we served on the van, in addition to housed individuals who simply needed the assistance we provided.”
“Before being afforded the opportunity to meet and get to know a homeless population, it had been easy to ignore them, to see right through them, as though they were invisible amongst the rest of society. It has been this opportunity, however, which has allowed me to get to know their individual stories, to understand homelessness as a symptom of much deeper pathologies.”
“It has become apparent to me that most of the people at the van would not be there if they had any other options, and that because they do not, it is the least we can do as people of good fortune, and as aspiring physicians, to lend a hand to those who may not have had the same luck in life.”
