| MUSHROOM Moments and Reflections |
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| Written by David M Deci | |
| Thursday, 04 October 2007 | |
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At the urging of our fearless technology guru, Suzanne Atkinson, I am posting our bi-weekly MUSHROOM Reports from Morgantown, WV. In addition, I have attached a brief newsletter-type update, along with a reflection that was triggered by our Street Rounds. From time to time, I will also include student reflections to help center us in the work we are called to do. Hope you enjoy! Dave Deci
First of the month income coupled with unusually mild weather translated into relatively fewer client encounters last evening. As noted in the report, a few new clients were assessed and provided with services. MUSHROOM welcomed new volunteers again last night. Holly Hartman-Adams, a Family Physician working in WVU Student Health Services, helped to lend her expertise in both medical assessment and teaching. Melissa Shockey, Richard Geary, and Steve Lindauer, all First Year Medical Students, joined our ranks and helped to evaluate client needs. Richard brings with him a year of experience working as an Americorp Volunteer with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. Steve also has Street Medicine experience through his volunteer work with a homeless outreach provider in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We welcome and thank all of our new and returning volunteers.
Among many impressions last evening, I was struck by one that was worth sharing. Amidst the noisy background of Beechurst Avenue traffic and hidden partly out of view by junk cars, we encountered a group of regular clients. One gentleman, in particular, was voicing his appreciation for what we do and asked if he could give us a gift. Not knowing what to expect, he quickly began sharing his talents of songwriting and singing. Despite the influence of alcohol ( or maybe because of its influence!) he broke into several captivating songs. He voice was strong, his rhythm was seductive, and his message was heartfelt. He sang of abandonment, loneliness, lost love, forgiveness and spiritual redemption. It was the perfect gift, given from the heart with no strings attached. Somehow our offerings of socks, water and PBJ's seemed trivial in comparison. For those of us present, it underscored the fact that in giving we receive. We thank this gentleman for teaching the power of selfless sharing. May we be inspired to be so generous.
DMD Hi Dr. Deci. Sorry it took me so long to send you my reaction to MUSHROOM. I wanted a little time to reflect on what I experienced, and last week I spent all of my free time studying. Anyway, the test is over now so here is my response. MUSHROOM is one of those experiences where you expect to give, but you end up getting more than you give. I wasn't anxious about going because I am a Morgantown native and I have volunteered at the Bartlett House, Christian Help and Circle of Friends in the past. That being the case, I thought I knew a lot about homelessness and in particular Morgantown's homeless. The major differenc is that when you volunteer at a soup kitchen, you see people once for a couple of hours, and there is always a barrier--a serving table, a door, etc.--that separates the homeless from the volunteers. MUSHROOM is something completely different. It is about breaking the barrier. It is about meeting, interacting with and building relationships with people so that you can be in a position to offer them help when they need it, and those people happen to be homeless. I have realized all the more that healthcare should be treated as a basic human right and not a privilege, but in fact the opposite is true. This is a wonderful program that acts on this idea in an attempt to change what needs to be changed. Thanks for the opportunity to have this experience! I plan to participate in MUSHROOM a lot in the future.Lola Burke, MS I September 18, 2007 |
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