What happens when I open my eyes?
November 18, 2020
What happens when I really open my eyes? Recently a friend mentioned that the focus on essential workers in 2020 has opened her eyes in new ways. Talking to the clerk at the grocery store, interacting with the nurse’s aide at the retirement community where her mom lives, and paying wait-staff when picking up take-out food – these are all times when she realized she could be interacting with someone facing homelessness.
The vast majority of homeless families are headed by mothers who are parenting alone. And most of the moms in Bridge of Hope are working as essential workers in these very fields.
What happens when we open our eyes? I suspect we will see people who are experiencing homelessness throughout our daily interaction – even when we are unaware. We might also begin to notice the intersection of homelessness and hunger. The clerk at your grocery store or favorite retail shop might be making a choice to pay her rent instead of buying groceries this week. The person preparing your take-out food might be struggling between paying for childcare and paying her rent.
This is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week. What might you and I notice if we each open our eyes in new ways to those around us during this time?
It is exhausting when people don’t see us. Over and over, I’ve heard women in Bridge of Hope talk about how their Neighboring Volunteers have truly seen them and loved them, even when they didn’t feel lovable. Seeing others matters.
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I invite you to name your gratitudes, notice those around you with new eyes, and respond in a way so that others know you truly see them.
This month, I am giving thanks for you, for your care for families facing homelessness!
Edith Yoder
Chief Executive Officer
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