On the first day of Urban Plunge, I went to the Emergency Family Shelter in Downtown Seattle. The Emergency Family Shelter is an overnight shelter that accepts mothers and children starting at 4:30 pm, providing a warm meal, a place to sleep, shower and get new clothes. I, along with four of my classmates, served food to mothers and children currently experiencing homelessness. That night, there were around 17 mothers and 34 children sleeping in the shelter. Along with serving food, we also had the opportunity to talk to the mothers and children and we were given a tour around the shelter. After talking and playing with the children, I noticed that many of these children kept a positive outlook on their current situation which both surprised and inspired me to look for the bright sides in my life.
Before I got to my site, I was nervous. My previous perception of those experiencing homelessness included people sad and panhandling on the sidewalk. I had very little information about Emergency Family Shelter, and I did not know what to expect once I arrived. I was worried that I would label these people I just met. Upon meeting some of the people there, …show more content…
After more icebreakers and mass, I was waiting to be accepted into the shelter when Ms. Dotsey noticed my hand was bandaged from earlier. She asked if I wanted to call my parents and as I was waiting to be picked up, she asked if everything was alright. I had no idea where to start. Not only was I dizzy and nauseous, I was also feeling down after returning from my service site. I broke down into tears, telling her how I never realized how lucky I am to be where I am today and how I could have been one of the thousands of children in Seattle experiencing homelessness. I explained how on my way back to Prep, my head was full of questions and I felt emotions I never thought I would associate with a service
Before I got to my site, I was nervous. My previous perception of those experiencing homelessness included people sad and panhandling on the sidewalk. I had very little information about Emergency Family Shelter, and I did not know what to expect once I arrived. I was worried that I would label these people I just met. Upon meeting some of the people there, …show more content…
After more icebreakers and mass, I was waiting to be accepted into the shelter when Ms. Dotsey noticed my hand was bandaged from earlier. She asked if I wanted to call my parents and as I was waiting to be picked up, she asked if everything was alright. I had no idea where to start. Not only was I dizzy and nauseous, I was also feeling down after returning from my service site. I broke down into tears, telling her how I never realized how lucky I am to be where I am today and how I could have been one of the thousands of children in Seattle experiencing homelessness. I explained how on my way back to Prep, my head was full of questions and I felt emotions I never thought I would associate with a service