Thank you to Pembroke Hill Students for Spending Time at Sheffield Place!
[Students from Pembroke Hill spent two days at Sheffield Place during the first week of January. They performed a variety of tasks, including cleaning, organizing, and working with the children, among others. Here are reflections from the students which have been edited for length.]
Student 1
This
week being exposed to homelessness in Kansas City was one of the most eye
opening experiences I've ever had in my life. Going to Sheffield Place really
opened my eyes especially when we were playing with the kids that lived there
because it was so hard to know that these kids may not have known where their
next meal or next home would come from. It really made me understand the plight
of the homeless because throughout my whole life I have had what I’ve needed
and have never had to worry about where my next meal would come from.
Student 2
Even though we scrubbed
floors on the first day, Sheffield Place was really interesting. I loved
working with the kids the second day. Interacting with the kids opened my eyes and
gave me a sense of their background.
Student 3
Sheffield Place focuses on helping traumatized mothers and
families to get through their difficult pasts and move on. During my recent
visit I got to see the work they do and the amount of people they continuously
help. One of my favorite moments was when we spent time with the children in
the daycare downstairs. This really shed light onto the lives of these children
and how the small amount of work we did truly benefitted them. The children
were so happy that we were there and it made my heart happy to help them.
We cleaned their toys and organized a closet during our time in the
daycare. These two things made a huge difference and made the women’s jobs
easier.
The feeling of helping these families made me want to continue to
serve others around me constantly. Talking to the families also showed me that
there is a large homeless population and all of them need help. The work of the
Sheffield Place treats the single mothers in therapy and teaches them to move
on and live on their own. I felt a sense of inspiration through these women and
how they still stand tall although they have been through unimaginable traumas.
Sheffield Place constantly strengthens these families and gives them a new home
and a way to start fresh. The week of community service gave me a greater view
of Kansas City and the lesser fortunate. I learned that helping the less
fortunate is a wonderful thing and makes me feel so much greater inside. Lastly
I want to thank the Sheffield Place and the other organizations for letting us
come and learn about what they do.
Student
4
Too
often when homelessness is pictured, the first thing that comes to mind is a
man of the street begging for money. For most . . . the only interaction with
the homeless is walking by disheveled men with long beards pleading for money,
homeless women and children only existing in concept. The issue of homelessness
is sometimes swept aside as merely an issue of leeches try to squeeze every
last dollar from the American taxpayer.
The
homelessness in Kansas City class however, provided a different face to the
homeless, and an opportunity to help those in need. From Sheffield’s Place to
ReStart, the faces seen were young beaten or abused, and in hopeless financial
duress due to payday loans and other debts, the expenses of child care, or a
crippling drug addiction. The public however, likes to pretend these people
don’t exist. It is much more comfortable to think that way, to not think of the
less fortunate, and forever to think inside the confines of the suburbs of
Kansas City. This way of thinking is the very reason why this class is so
important. Without this class or a similar experience, change is improbable.
There would be no questioning of the law, which tends to punish the poor with
harsh drug policies and other laws, or our politicians which enact those laws.
Student 5
The
first shelter we visited catered to [homeless] women and children. The
organization was called Sheffield's Place, and my favorite part of visiting was
the income activity. Everyone had a made up income of $1600, the leader then
shared with everyone all the expenses it takes for the women to provide for
their family. It was very eye opening because the income women receive, is less
than what it takes to [live] and care for their children. I really enjoyed this
week because I was able to spend time with people I would have never known, and
I discovered so many wonderful organizations helping people.
Student 6
I am very grateful to
have had the opportunity to volunteer at such amazing shelters. I was very
shocked to go to Sheffield Place and learn how much homeless individuals lack
basic skills such as budgeting and parenting skills. The mission of those who
work at Sheffield Place is to help all of the women get a job and to teach the
families how to work together in order to get a job and work hard in order to
rebuild their self confidence and rejoin society. I think that Shefield does a
very good job of teaching the women they serve all the skills they need in
order to get back up on their feet. The layout of Sheffield Place is very nice.
I really like how each family has an apartment and shares a kitchen with
others.
