Thursday, January 1, 2009

A poignant New Year's Eve

Last night I did another volunteer shift at the Emergency Weather Shelter at the First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo.

It felt challenging to me. The behaviour of some of our guests was difficult.

Yet, with that having been said, our guests showed great caring and empathy towards each other. My volunteer stints at the Emergency Weather Shelter have demonstrated to me that homeless people form communities.

Although being homeless seems to be incredibly harsh (I'm sure more than I can begin to imagine), the level of concern and kindness within those communities is humbling.

My fellow volunteers also were inspiring examples of compassion and authenticity.

There is a silver lining to every cloud. The three-week (and counting) spell of severe weather we've experienced in Nanaimo has enriched my life by providing me with unexpected encounters with remarkable people.

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