The truth is some service is really, really difficult to swallow. It is not because the activities are awful, or that your hated what you were doing and who you are with. No, that is not it. Not even in the slightest. It is hard to swallow, mostly because it punches you in the emotional gut (sometimes, with the force of Tyson’s right undercut) and forces you to ingest the reality you were having a hard time chewing on in the first place.
With a lot of volunteer work, you do not have contact with the population you are serving. This allows you a certain experience, with a clear understanding that you are doing something good for the world, but not a specific understanding of who (i.e. the specific person) will benefit from your time. You feel accomplished, because you finish the tasks assigned and have a clear grasp of what you have completed. Other volunteer work, typically the kind that puts you face-to-face with the people you are serving is, at times, really challenging. In addition to all that you accomplish with your time, you see all that is left to be done and those that the remaining work will affect.
Do not interpret this that these experiences are depressing or in any way negative. They aren’t. They are hard precisely because they are so uplifting. Because you see how passionately people care about the human condition. You see how wonderful so many people are, and how hard they are working to help change others peoples’ lives. They do not do by “fixing” anything – they do it by being there, extending a proverbial hand to say “if you stumble or fall, I will be here to help you up”. And you see how amazing, determined, and strong the individuals are who are working to change their circumstances. That being said, Emmaus Inc. in Haverhill, MA was a hard stop.
Established in the mid 80s by a group of concerned citizens, Emmaus was their response to the growing incidence of homelessness in Haverhill. First conceptualized as an emergency shelter, Emmaus has expanded into a community housing development organization that provides emergency shelter, transitional and permanent affordable housing to those in need (including individuals, families, the mentally disabled, those with a history of addiction, and the elderly).
The buildings form a campus, offering a multitude of services depending on the specific facility. Initially, the focus is getting someone a roof, a bed, and a hot meal (Mitch’s Place is the emergency shelter for single men and women, while Emmaus House is the family emergency shelter). Once that individual has stabilized and entered one of Emmaus’ programs (perhaps entering Jericho House or moving to Bethel Transitional Apartments), additional assistance, such as job training or education (accessible through Bethel Business Center), is available to help get that person back on his or her feet.
The services at Emmaus are structured in a step format. First step is entering one of the shelters. Then, the individual can step into one of the transitional housing programs, before making another step into permanent housing. But, during each transition, Emmaus is right along side the person, helping them to take the next step, another step away from homelessness.
Like our day at LearningWorks, Tim and I got to explore three different areas of service at Emmaus. We spent the morning stocking the food pantry, the afternoon with the families at Emmaus House, and the late afternoon cooking dinner at Mitch’s Place.
The food pantry was stocked floor to ceiling with assorted cans comprising a veritable cornucopia of all Campbell’s, Del Monte, Progresso, Green Giant, and other suppliers have to offer. Corn, peas, pineapple, okra, peaches, green beans, mandarin slices, pasta sauce, olives, beets, cranberry sauce, gravy, soups, soups, and more soups. Some cans were triple and quadruple-stacked, others were tucked on their sides between the tops of the precariously towered aluminum columns and the next highest shelf. We sorted, categorized and stocked the shelves that function as a pantry for all the programs under the umbrella of Emmaus.
We walked across the icy campus, back to Emmaus House to share a meal with the residents. We spent part of the afternoon chatting with the women in the common room, as well as playing with their children in the playroom. These women were open about their situation, willing to talk about their experiences and give insights. Sometimes, it was hard to hear the details of what they had seen and the circumstances that pushed them into homelessness. But, each acknowledged that they made the decision to come to the shelter, to try for a better life, both for themselves and their children.
You don’t feel sorry for these women and families. It would be pointless to feel sorry for them – it wouldn’t do them or you any good. Truthfully, it is a non-issue, because pity doesn’t even cross your mind. You sit, absolutely struck by resilience of the people who come to Emmaus, and can’t help but to admire their strength.
One woman, honest and brave, told me about another at shelter at which she had briefly resided before coming to Emmaus. She commended Emmaus for providing her and her granddaughter with a safe environment – a structured environment, free from certain unsavory realities faced at other shelters.
The apartment units at the facility were clean and large. Two families inhabited each unit, sharing a common space, bathroom and kitchenette. Each family had its own bedroom, furnished with bunk beds, a cot, and, perhaps, a crib. The apartment we saw was decorated sparsely, but prominently featured pictures of family, giving the impression that this was considered home for now, but the family would eventually be moving on.
We left the conversations and kids and playing in the playroom, traveling to a different building to cook a meal for Mitch’s place (the emergency shelter for individuals). On huge baking sheets, we roasted chicken that had been marinated and seasoned with adobo, garlic, parsley and pepper. In huge pots, we sautéed onions and jalapeños, adding rice before slowly simmering. It smelled heavenly. Two lovely ladies serenaded us (I wish we had taken a video! The performance must be repeated for us (and our camera)!), and took the time to tell us stories of hope and inspiration.
Volunteering at Emmaus was wonderfully rewarding, primarily because we were introduced to and shook the hand of homelessness. I guess you could say we enjoyed it so much because of how personal the whole experience was. We got a chance to talk to people, hear their story and their plans for the future. Additionally, we saw people working for change and we got to be a part of it. The people who work at Emmaus, as well as those who live within the Emmaus system of housing, do not view homelessness as insurmountable – they acknowledge the obstacle and work together to find a way over it.
127 How Street
Haverhill, MA 01831
Phone: 978.241.3400
Fax: 978.241.3422
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