At the beginning of fall, I received an email from two Georgetown University students, Doug Badini and Erin Cawley. They were doing a project for their Leadership class and asked if the homeless guests who come in to GMC could use phones or phone cards. I told them that they absolutely could, and a few months later, Doug and Erin came to GMC with a stack of 350 phone cards that they received from AT&T for this project!
I am so impressed by Doug and Erin and by the initiative they took. Both are seniors at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, and both of them are so dedicated and motivated to give back to their community and a variety of ways.
Continue reading to learn more about these two superstars, what they learned from this project, and what words of encouragement they have for others who are interested in volunteering.
Back in September, the Citizens Association of Georgetown dedicated one of their meetings to educating the Georgetown community about homelessness, mental illness, and Georgetown Ministry Center. We showed two videos featuring the family members of individuals that came to GMC, and have now added these two videos to our Media Page.
We invite you to listen and watch Greg’s Story and Tom’s Story.
On Sunday, November 18, GMC guests had a special treat: sloppy joes, potato and egg salad, rolls, pickles… all organized by Georgetowner Maggie Handel.
homemade pineapple upside down cake
Maggie wanted to provide a nice lunch for Georgetown Ministry Center’s members and created the idea of a “Sloppy Joe Challenge,” rallying Georgetowners and neighbors to help chip in, whether by providing a jar of pickles, cooking the sloppy joes, or loaning a slow cooker. She first posted on the Georgetown Forum asking for six volunteers to prepare the menu for twelve lunches each and deliver them to the GMC at the appointed time. Only one eager volunteer stepped up to the challenge then: Anna Harris, who not only cooked for twelve people but also made homemade rolls!
After asking for help on the forum, Maggie told us, “Once I realized the Forum response was light, I sent a plea out to my neighbors. We’ve developed a friendly & supportive block community at N & 27th through the Georgetown Block Captain program. They rallied to my call and delivered the scrumptious home cooked food.”
Everyone loved the food, and the next morning they were still raving about how delicious it was.
We are so lucky to have friends like Maggie. She drops by our center with toiletries and special treats like nail polish for our ladies, supports our knitting group, and comes up with new ways to give, like this Sloppy Joe Challenge. What we like so much about Maggie is that she is so community-oriented. She is a Georgetown Block Captain and also understands that the homeless are part of the Georgetown community. She could have chosen to order food or cook it all herself, but instead chose to rally friends and neighbors to work together. She is a true friend and community organizer.
Of course, we must give thanks to everyone who helped Maggie with this project! A big THANK YOU to the following people:
Many people have been asking us about what we need, what they can donate, and what donation drives they can organize for us. Below is a list of things we are always in need of. We hope this list also lends itself to successful drives that one can organize at their school, congregation, workplace, or local community.
adult socks, underwear, and undershirts
thermal undershirts and pants, hats, gloves, and scarves
washcloths, towels
toothpaste and shaving cream
paper, pens
yarn – multiple skeins of the same color/type, preferably
crochet hooks, knitting needles
books
$5-$10 gift cards to Subway, Starbucks, Safeway, etc.
Donations can be dropped off at Georgetown Ministry Center between 8am and 5pm any day of the week. Questions? Please call us at 202-338-8301. Thanks!
I once overheard someone on M Street in Georgetown remarking to her friend, “Georgetown would be so much prettier without all these bums on the street. Why can’t they just go somewhere else?”
This comment, while infuriating, is also an understandable one. After all, if it’s out of your backyard, it becomes someone else’s problem, right? (FALSE!)
That is how some NYC residents near Lexington Ave and 125th Street feel about their neighborhood where there is a bus stop that connects to Wards Island, “which is home to four large homeless shelters for single men, with a total population of over 1,000 people.” (source) Residents have written to MTA to try and move the bus stop several blocks away, even though the current bus stop is connected to three subway lines and three other bus lines.
Shipping the homeless elsewhere and passing laws that make being homeless difficult does not actually address the problem of homelessness. Instead of trying to cover up the problem or passing it on to someone else, we should strive to tackle it head on and address the real root of the issue.
