Grateful and Generous Hearts
“What we really need to do is solve the problem of homelessness. Giving money and food are good, but they are only a temporary patch.” – Excerpt from an essay by a 7th grade student at Ann Arbor Christian.
Ann Arbor Christian is a friend of Avalon. They’ve volunteered as families, created centerpieces for holiday parties, and for a second year in a row helped fill the Thanksgiving tables of our tenants. This morning I joined them for their weekly chapel service. Organized by teacher Xan Morgan, the service marked the culmination of their Homelessness Awareness Week. Part of their activities for the week included raising funds (more than $600!) to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner, gathering together some of the traditional fixings (I could almost smell the pumpkin pie and green bean casserole!), and other useful items for Avalon households.
As I watched a skit performed by the seventh grade comparing the lives of two children – one homeless and one not – and listened to the discussion afterwards, it became clear to me what an impact another person can have on their community. The students of Ann Arbor Christian heard the stories, saw the problem, and know a solution exists. They know that it’s not an easy answer, but they did what they could with what they had to make someone else’s life a little better, a little easier.
And more, most likely, than just an Avalon tenant. Like those I shared my morning with this Friday, Avalon tenants open their homes and share their tables with friends and family from near and far. The simple gifts received today make supportive housing something for so many to be thankful for.
