March 2011 Sleeping Bag Event

Some of the volunteers had some thoughts about the March sleeping bag event and I think it's best to hear directly from volunteers about their experiences.

"I think the observation that most resonated with me was that of the huge discrepancy between the stereotypical 'homeless person' and the people we interacted with. Jim, Bill, etc were all seemingly normal, kind people with friends, a community, a routine, etc but simply had alternate living situations. I wish more people knew this for themselves because one of the harshest misfortunes of homelessness is the exclusion from society; people walk right by without even a glance."

- Sandra Flores

"This was my second time providing sleeping bags to the people in need within DC, and I for one thought that this past event made me feel more involved with the principle behind handing out sleeping bags. The area we focused on this time was Dupont Circle, and the recipients of the sleeping bags were much more engaging than those during the past event. We spent considerable time talking to these recipients and I for one gained a better perspective on their individual situations and other issues dear to their hearts. What I found fascinating is the community these people have established and how they view and respect their fellow friends. For instance, one man denied taking a sleeping bag from us but pointed out where others less fortunate than him needed one. Another recipient of a sleeping bag decided that he did not need his extra blanket and provided it to a fellow friend on the bench. I think those interactions are why I feel more connected to the event and connected to the people."

- Kirtan Parikh (KP)

These statements embody the volunteer experience with Be the Change in DC; it can be more intense and demanding of the volunteers, but the direct exposure to the homeless population of DC makes you realize the homeless are not very different from you or me. Remember that the next time you pass one by.

Official corporate sponsor: Virgin Mobile USA

Virgin Mobile USA is now officially sponsoring Be the Change in DC's Cell Phones for the Homeless Program. They recently began providing 1,500 minutes a month for our three current participants (pictured here, from left to right, Fred, Marvin, and Sam).

We are super excited to have a corporate partner that not only preaches corporate social responsibility but also practices it. Kudos to Virgin Mobile USA for really "getting" what we are trying to do with the prepaid cell phone initiative and for believing in Be the Change in DC to make it happen.

A Sleeping Bag Distribution in late February

While we didn’t find homeless people in each location we visited during this event, when it comes down to it, we gave out 11 sleeping bags to the “street” homeless on Sunday, February 20th. I’m glad we had the event because the next day, there was sleet and the freezing temperatures that come along with it in DC. Be the Change in DC and its volunteers certainly made an impact on those 11 people who received sleeping bags.

In my opinion, two interesting things happened during the event:

1) The first thing is that while giving out sleeping bags near Union Station, we ran into Wally. Wally immediately recognized me from last year. As I asked him if he wanted a sleeping bag, Wally told me that we had met before. I asked him where and he reminded me that exactly one year ago, I had asked him if he thought a prepaid cell phone would be a good thing for Be the Change in DC to distribute to the homeless. Wally’s support for the idea one year ago is what gave us the encouragement as an organization to push forward on our “cell phones for the homeless” initiative, which we officially started in August of 2010 after months or research and planning. We handed Wally a sleeping bag and found a way to keep in touch with him through his contact with DC Central Kitchen, another organization that helps the homeless and with whom Be the Change in DC works with. Wally is at the very top of out list when we expand our cell phones for the homeless program and the February sleeping bag event enabled us to reconnect with him, bringing that initiative full circle.

2) Not surprisingly, most of the sleeping bags were given out at the same location as we did during the January event (on the corner of 14th and New York Avenue, NW). That location has become, at least in my mind, a hotspot for finding the “street” homeless in Northwest DC. While at that location, we ran into Ed, a homeless veteran. Ed told us his story of becoming homeless and he definitely had our attention the entire time. We are looking into connecting Ed to services meant specifically for veterans, and we will consider Ed as a potential candidate for our cell phone program.

Both Wally and Ed stand out in my mind. People like them make us love what we do at Be the Change in DC. They both said “thank you” but it wasn’t what the “thank you” that made the strongest impression on me; it was meeting them, talking to them and hearing their stories. Make no mistake; their voices were heard.