CEF client Amanda Abbott hard at work in the CEF office
Okay, so the idea for the CEF/ Homeless switch for an hour was completely mine. I know that CEF helps a lot of homeless people and it occurred to me that none of us really know how or what it’s like to be in the other’s shoes. So, how could we help each other? Well, very simply…. We switch places for an hour. Now I know what you’re thinking. How could anyone learn something this real in an hour? Well I will tell you that I was very glad to have my life back.
I was a CEF member for the hour and I found that it was a headache the whole time. I was trying to help people find shelter and for every door that hit me in the face I was frustrated. I mean the thought that these people would be out on the streets and I was trying but not getting anywhere was the worst feeling in the world. I had to wonder is this what the real CEF staff feels like when they are working with us? I learned that just because we have a lot of good times and laugh a lot the CEF staff really does care and are here to help us in any way possible. I am not saying that I doubted that they were trying to help, but in the back of my mind I did not trust. So, many people come out and say that they are helping people and then don’t. But CEF is real and hard working. This is my experience with Freaky Wednesday.
What a wonderful post. Thanks, Amanda! And not only thanks for the post, but for organizing the whole event — it was a hugely educational experience for us all! I learned that it takes an enormous amount of courage to be on the streets. However, as scared as I was, I was greatly comforted by the community on Franklin. I am so grateful for Rick, Deanne and others who made me feel comfortable, sitting next to us the whole time, explaining to us the rules of Franklin Street and sharing experiences they had had.
One of the most interesting experiences I had during “Freaky Wednesday” was when a lady approached me and said “What’s the deal?! You’re not homeless… you’re too young!”. This was an interesting perspective because less than five minutes earlier, I had been speaking with a homeless woman who was a mere 20 years old— exactly my age. It showed me that a lot of people have skewed perspectives on homelessness— there is certainly not a specific type of person who becomes homeless. It can happen to many different types of people for many different reasons. I think this is a concept that many people don’t grasp— I hope that our CEF/Homeless switch day helped to make people think about doubting stereotypes surrounding homelessness.