Sunday, March 13, 2011
Community Outreach Project
The Davis guys really sank their hearts into a community project this February. They chose to reach out to a growing homeless population here in Winston by thinking creatively about what they would have need of if they were living without a home. The men collected sweatshirts, hats, food, lighters, backpacks, hand warmers, shoes, blankets and many other pertinent items, then we jumped in the van and began meeting people. We first met Steve, who was very grateful for his hoody and a backpack full of useful items. In exchange for this kind gesture he gave us very good information about where to find others who could use some help, or where to drop packages that would be found by those who really need them. The Davis men had made a quick friend, and some interesting learning was happening inside the heads of all involved in this process. On our second day out we dropped several more packages under bridges throughout the city, and gave out a lot of our items near the Bethesda Center, which is downtown. People were kind, patient, and gracious as we interacted with several people throughout our second day. The guys were smiling and talking about how surprised they were at how this was going. Timidity and assumptions were giving way to relating and understanding. On the third day out we gave our last backpack to a lady named Suzanne who was near our home. We decided then that we wanted this type of giving to continue, so we made a box to keep in our van that will always have useful items to distribute. The fellows have done such a great job designing and carrying out this project. Their selfless giving and efforts to relate to others is having a tangible effect on several people in our wonderful city! Way to grow, Davis House!