Grateful Expectations

 This is an interesting idea to contemplate.  The first expectation that I had regarding The Gathering Place was regarding the building and structure itself.   Having never been there before I pictured it in my mind like an elementary school or a human services building, with cinder block walls painted beige and a cracked and chipped linoleum floor.  I guess this expectation stems from my idea of people who are homeless and disadvantaged and in my experience with that side of life in the past.  Like visiting soup kitchens in church basements and food banks in drafty warehouses.  When people are offering a service like free food or hygiene items to the poor, it seems like the last thing that comes into consideration is the facility in which they will be providing them in.  In my past life I had several scrapes with the underbelly of society and it never struck me as anything but practical for the buildings that I went in and out of to be somewhat shabby looking.  I mean it's not like the patrons of these establishments are too concerned with appearances, they are worried about far more pressing things than decoration or paint color.  That being said, I could not have been more surprised when I walked in and saw The Gathering Place's facility that first day. It is elegant and soothingly appointed.   The lobby doors are glass and lead into a pale green reception area with chairs and couches arranged to create comfortable conversation areas.  The pale green paint color is carried throughout the facility and brings a calm and serene atmosphere to the entire place.   The entire building was just remodeled about 4 years ago and so everything is new and fresh and still in wonderful shape.  I think this is awesome and I appreciate the effect this probably has on the clients of The Gathering Place who visit regularly.   It is so much more pleasant to come to a place that is well taken care of and that people care about enough to keep nice.  It is only an appearance but it goes a long way toward making these people feel comfortable and important enough to build a beautiful center for them to develop a community within.  Not only do the furnishings and the well-kept appearance of the building invite people in to receive the help that they need, but it also goes a long way to making the clients feel worthy of respect.  In a way it is just a visual representation of what their overall mission, not to judge people for the circumstances of their lives and to provide them with a safe, comfortable escape from their daily struggles.  A place to call home. 

The second expectation I had was formed even before Justine came to speak to our class on the day when we had the organization panel in class. From the time that Dr. McCarver announced the organizations on the first day of class I instantly knew that The Gathering Place was my first choice.  I was excited to work with the population that frequents The Gathering Place, because as I have stated before, I am not too far away from a time in my life when I could have benefited from their services both physically and emotionally.   I have gotten my life back on track and am living in a semi-permanent home in a transitional living facility.   I know what it's like not to have a home and not to know where your next meal is coming from and so I was looking forward to meeting others like me and spending time with them, getting to know them, encouraging them.  So as far as this expectation goes, I can say that I was disappointed to learn that we would not be doing our volunteer work at The Gathering Place in that capacity.  I am still excited and am thrilled to be doing something that will provide these families with a day of culture, but it's just not exactly what I expected to be doing.  I think that since I have identified this desire within myself to help out and volunteer in a capacity that will allow me to interact with the less fortunate among us I will continue to pursue and fulfill that need outside the realm of this class.   I have already gone to The Gathering Place on another occasion, actually I met another member of my group there and she brought a friend of hers that could take advantage of the food and diapers they provide there.  I think I will be spending more time there in the future, even if it doesn't count toward my hours for class.  Just volunteering and getting involved in the community there.  Cheers to service learning!