NYCUP Summer 2013 (first weekend impact)

   New York City Urban Project 2013 (NYCUP)

Its only been three days since I have arrived in my short term home (hopefully to be long term one day) in New York City and I have already connected with many wonderful people and participated in various events.

The opportunity to  even be here is an absolute blessing and I cannot express my appreciation for those who have made it possible!

After my interesting morning adventure to the housing location, I settled into my cute dorm like room, then we split into groups and went on prayer walks around the neighborhood. We are staying in the Inwood /Washington heights region. As we were walking around we noticed numerous daycares, that particularly struck me, as many of you know, God has given me a passion for kids.

Day two is the one that is still reminiscing in my mind, and will stay with me hand in hand the entire trip, and pleasantly intrude on my life back home. NYCUP introduced me to the feed 500 hundred program. The program is designed to help the homeless People in a way that makes them feel accepted. First of all, I will outwardly admit that about a year ago homeless People use to freak me the heck out. Something I  genuinely believe makes the Feed 500 program impact the volunteers experience differently than say working in a soup kitchen, is the fact that we approach the homeless People in what you could say would be their natural habitat, in which many New Yorkers would just walk by. Opening up to the conversation was very basic by offering them food. Some may not accept, but we are also equipped with resource cards if they desire other needs we could not necessarily provide. I met 3 unique People yesterday Joseph , Brother James, and Nick.

Joseph is an older man who loves to create artwork, my group and I ran into  him after coming out of the Subway staircase. He welcomingly told Matt and I his story. He was a homeless Person for 15 years and was approached by a man who offered him housing, he was skeptical because people have deceived him in the past when offering help towards his situation. With that being said, it is very difficult for myself not feel angry with the people who have deceived the helpless, but like I said earlier I was once freaked out by homeless People, and that's where grace intervenes into my thought process.  

Brother James is a blind man, which was caused by a systemic disease and we also ran into him on the subway. Despite his situation and disabilities, he has a very humorous upbeat personality and  has 3 daughters. Our conversation with someone who merely could have been a stranger to me, literally brightened up my day. Homeless People have a story just like everyone else and I was fortunate enough to have had them open up and share their struggles they have gone through.  The immense hope many of them have is doubtlessly admirable.

Honestly I could go on for pages about this past weekend but I have more adventures and learning experiences to get to! I will keep this blog updated every few days! Also, I might be posting some original poetry. 

Love you all back at home!!

P.S.
If your a Grammar Person... Or perhaps even a non grammar person you noticed that the P in People is bold and underlined. This did not go without a purpose. The homeless are PEOPLE.. so please lets treat them with the respect and the love PEOPLE deserve. All assumptions and stereotypes aside, not all PEOPLE are the same. :)

xoxo -Manda