Saturday, September 15, 2012

Project Night Night- Helping the 1.5 Million Homeless Children

Project Night Night
Project Night Night in SF, CA
So, in the relentless search of things to do to continually develop a broader sense of "an attitude of gratitude," I came across this charity (Thank you, ResumeBear Online, where I was ACTUALLY searching for resources for college students!) After watching the YouTube and Vimeo videos, I decided to write about this amazing charity. Most of the homeless children I have met (many of them being teenagers) have taken great pains to make sure that their "status" is unknown to anyone. They often refer to themselves as "couch surfers" or "stayin' with friends." We might imagine that no one in "our part of town" might live this reality. Let's go ahead and tell ourselves that... But the next time you are walking down the sidewalk and encounter a child walking your way, will you wonder if they might be one of this 1.5 million? Just in case, I always look directly in their eyes, smile warmly and say "Good morning." There's a momentary flash of connection. Some kids look at the ground and mumble, a few look shocked and shy, most smile back and many of them say "good morning" in return. What are we saying to each other? I can only know what I am saying to them. The meta-message I am sending is "I see you. You matter. I wish you well. Peace be with you."