Lessons From The Sandwich Line

By Kelsey Krebsbach

I've always thought of the homeless as people who I should avoid. They didn't look or dress the way I did. They were different. After I went to Sandwich Line, where I helped feed them, I realized that they never really planned on living on the streets. They were just normal people, but without homes. When I saw all these men and women lined up outside the church, I began to understand the importance of volunteering. Not only are you doing things for others at no cost, but you are also making an impression in somebody's life.

After this experience, I thought about the word "homeless." It was just a label I used on anyone that lived on city sidewalks. After seeing all these people lined up outside the church, I couldn't believe what being homeless really was like. It wasn't just wearing old clothes and having no money. It was having no family, being cold, and most of all being alone. At night, think of what it must be like to sleep on a bench. In the day, think of asking every stranger for money, and carrying your possessions in a garbage bag, if you had any.

There are opportunities to help people in need everywhere. Homeless shelters, poor families and kids who need food and clothing, you name it. So volunteer and start to understand the lives of different people. We take a lot of things for granted, especially our families. When you do things like this, you're sharing a little bit of that with everyone, and it really counts.