Alicia Benton: November 2008

The Annual SafeHouse Chili Outreach was an amazing day ... despite the pouring rain. There were hundreds helped, clothed and fed. I wish I could share with you all of the stories of the day, but I narrow it down to my favorite ...

Verizon Wireless loaned us 20 cell phones with free service and unlimited minutes so that our homeless friends could call their loved ones. Many, many of them took us up on this and made contact with friends and family that they had not spoken to in months or even years.

One of the many who used this service was a young man who had not spoken to his mother for quite a long time. He made contact with her using our Verizon Wireless Call Home station. They spent over 45 minutes on the phone. When the conversation was over, he hung up the phone, with a huge ear to ear grin handed it to one of the women working this station, gave her a big bear hug then proceeded to walk to the corner of Ellis Street and Courtland Street and hop in the car with his mother!! Even retelling this story now brings tears to my eyes.

There is something so indescribable about being involved in moments like this. This young made is home and off the streets because of myself and every other volunteer that came out and helped us make the Chili Outreach happen. People ask Drew and I why we do what we do and why we choose to spend our time hanging out on the streets with homeless people ... this young man is why. We do what we do because we love each and everyone of them and want to see them restored to being the best version of themselves that they can be. This young man reconnecting with his mother explains why we make every sacrifice, why we live in the city, really why we do pretty much everything we do. Drew and I want to show the world love ... even the part of the world that others chose to pretend doesn't exist.