June Shelter Duty 2008

It was quite the rough night, and early morning. Too bad since it was the last official night for the shelter until autumn rolls around. I just wished things ended on a better note. The bus arrived too early, both in the evening and the next morning. This left the guests running around in a mad scramble to get ready, strip their beds, and claim a seat to take them back to the drop off center. No one seemed to have gotten a decent night's sleep. I know I certainly didn't.

Not a great way to end the season.

May Shelter Duty 2008

Nothing much to report. The shelter season is coming to a close at the end of this month and things were quiet despite the fact that there will be one less facility offering beds until the fall season begins. With the rain coming and going all day, I feared that since our guests would have spent pretty much all day holed up with each other, they would arrive carrying the frustrations and squabbles which occur when people of different personalities and backgrounds are confined together for long periods of time. Thankfully, there was no drama or harsh words exchanged amongst anyone.

The bus arrived last night probably the latest it had ever come in all the years I have volunteered. It also arrived this morning the earliest it had ever been in all the years I have volunteered. This company, although new this year, still hasn't sussed out a normalized schedule.

That said, it was nice to come home early, although my rhythms are a bit off.

April Shelter Duty 2008

It was a fairly average night tonight. There was a bittersweet moment when I discovered that the person whom I got to know a little better the last time I had shelter duty, wasn't there that night. As much as I was disappointed, I hope this signals that housing has finally been procured for this individual.

March Shelter Duty 2008

Shelter duty proved to be an easy, breezy night. I was teamed with the same person I volunteered with last month. In an odd twist of events, I actually got to know and like a guest whom I previously always seemed to butt heads with. We chatted about nutrition, of all subjects, and she began to open up about certain periods in her life. It was eye opening and the divider between us began to crumble.

February Shelter Duty 2008

In a word - cabin fever.

Last Friday, all day, it poured rain. Buckets. That left a night, full of guests, who were at each other's throats. It's hard enough being homeless. It's even harder when you're holed up with the same group of people day in and day out, sheltered from the inclement weather with nowhere to turn to for some quiet personal space. I can't fault a person for feeling like they're about to burst.

The guests arrived at our shelter from the drop-off center, bringing with them the minor squabbles and exhaustive nitpicking. A battlefield of emotions. I intervened many times until morning, trying not to take sides, hoping that given my limited understanding of the scope of their problems, I could help sooth the negative environment.

I only pray things got better for them.

November Shelter Duty 2007

Last night's walk to shelter duty, was a bit breezy. I had accomplished all I could for the trip and only needed to finish packing today. All the preliminaries were complete. There was a sense of necessity in choosing this night because I was doing something the next day that others aren't in the position of doing. On the plus side, I figured that since I rarely get any sleep on volunteer nights, it tire me out for the next day and would allow me to get some sleep on the flight, barring a heavy snorer in my direct vicinity. I stopped off first at Starbucks and chose an Egg Nog Latte - skim please! Now, I loves me my egg nog, and the latte was good, but nothing beats the real McCoy. I was going to be the lone volunteer, and hopefully, the flow of the night would be in my control. It looked like we'd all be fine.

I retrieved the keys, entered, and was confronted with a shit hole. The previous night's volunteers didn't clean up properly. Beds were askew, no pillowcases to be found, crumbs all over the kitchen table, and no milk. A real shit hole. Now, I entered panic mode. The drop-off bus hasn't followed a smooth schedule yet and could have arrived at anytime. So, I ran around like a lunatic cleaning and primping the place. I have to admit, that out of this chaos, there was something peaceful about being alone and accomplishing things by myself. Things then became orderly, and then some. The water for coffee and tea heated up, milk purchased, towels would have to take the place of pillowcases; I even had time to make my own bed before the guests arrived.

I get upset when the shelter lacks the amenities that we normally provide. I don't see it as a reflection on me or the shelter, but a reflection on how the guests think we see them. However, last night they couldn't have been more friendly or understanding about the lack of supplies. All went to plan, except one gentleman who reminded me a few times that the cookie situation wasn't up to snuff. Whatever. I got to chat with a few people and really dish. I feel awkward sometimes, because of the Mary and Martha's of life, I can feel like such a Martha. I like to work in the background getting things done, and that can at times, make me appear stiff and unfriendly.

After lights out, the room was unusually quiet, which did not, unfortunately, interrupt the racing thoughts in my head of all the things I would need to accomplish the next day. Minor things, that sit with a person and dig and annoy one to no end. Naturally, I failed to have a fit sleep, which didn't surprise me, but the next morning went smoothly. I was able to leave just moments after the bus arrived for our guests. I had done most of the cleaning up while they were getting ready. It was nice, to have things under control.

October Shelter Duty 2007

Friday night was long and excruciating. The shelter re-opened last week for the 2007-2008 season. First, the bus came too early. This wasn't too bad, but still, an annoyance. I enjoy the reflective quiet of setting up and talking with the other volunteer before the long and unpredictable night sets upon you. In this case it was volunteers, plural, as we had newbies last night. I got that warm and fuzzy positive feeling they will be back to do it again.

Right, so. The bus arrived early and I noticed that we had several new guests. This is good and bad news. The good news is that the presence of brand new shiny guests indicates to me that last season's group have finally found accommodation and won't be back again. The bad news is that you now have another set of folks to break in and set rules. Don't get me wrong, these are grownups and our rules are pretty liberal. Me personally, I'm more of the you-can-do-pretty-much-what-you-like-as-long-as-you're-quiet-and-leave-others-alone nature. It's just the typical settling in and learning the ropes that can prove to be difficult for both the volunteer and the guest. This is when we learn who might have trouble with the stairs or problems getting along with the others.

It was a typical night, I tossed and turned while dealing with the noisiness of those who couldn't settle in. I don't mind it so much as I truly believe it's their night and I can nap later. By 5:30AM, I heard so much noise and people talking, it became too difficult. Our wake up time is 6:00AM. Until then, you must remain quiet for the sake of the others. 5:45AM, a guest turned on the lights and began waking others up. I went down and asserted the rules of the shelter, wake up time - 6:00AM. I was told that they always wake up at 5:30. Not so in this shelter, I said. While helping someone with their bed, I heard one guest mutter to another, "the volunteers just want to sleep". No. Nuh, uh. That is one thing I refuse to tolerate; anyone who expects a volunteer to be superhuman. This is a free job, and pulling an all-nighter is not a requirement. I turned, looked at the comment culprit and quizzically asked, "excuse me?" Nothing. No response back.

Thankyouverymuch.

So, that morning I ended up with egg on my face because the bus arrived too early - at 6:00AM!! It's supposed to arrive at half six. Here I was running around turning off lights and scolding people for being noisy and the bus pulls up in front of the church at wake up time. I spent the next fifteen minutes getting beds stripped and people out the door.

Exhausting.

June Shelter Duty 2007

With mixed feelings, last night was the end of shelter duty. Until next fall. I always leave each year with a feeling of hope that our guests will finally find suitable housing. A few of these people have been with us for several years now. That's not good, or promising, and it can really bring you down when you see their faces the next fall.

The person I volunteered with last night had the oddest bedside manner. She arrived after I did, and not introducing herself, first demanded the keys so that she could get something to eat. When she came back, she offered up no information about who she was and answered every single one of my "get to know you" questions with one or two words. That was the tone for the rest of the night. A total snobby dud. When she had stepped out for her food, I made a call to the coordinator to tell me her story. Turns out, she has been doing the shelter every month for five years. I have been doing the shelter for ten years, and never once had the pleasure (displeasure is more like it) of working with her.

All throughout the night, I tried initiating conversation several times to no avail. Finally, when I left the next morning, I said goodbye, and out of niceness, lied when I told her that it was nice working with her. Again, I got no response. Nothing. Anyone who knows me knows that I give a lot of people a chance, and that I am an incredibly understanding person. I have done shelter duty with people whom I didn't really mesh with. But, we always managed to make a go of the night.

I'm still scratching my head in confusion over this.

One good thing come out of it...no more Jane. I found out two weeks ago that she had another mental breakdown and has been removed for good. Thankfully, when she started up trouble again, we had some long timers volunteering that night who were able to keep the situation under control. My only regret is that I didn't tell the coordinator immediately that I didn't ever want her there. I had figured I'd wait until we spoke about arranging the next shelter night. Unfortunately, it didn't happen in time.

April Shelter Duty

Last night was my turn for shelter duty this month. Again, I was alone this time, which was perfectly alright with me. Sometimes, I prefer it this way. The night went off without a hitch, with the exception of a guest who talked really loud in his sleep. I woke him to give warning, although I realize the idea of that is quite absurd. How do you curtail what you do in your sleep? I did it mainly to appease another guest who was near him, and who wouldn't calm down until I did something about his ramblings. It ended up working, and we were fine throughout the night. I actually got some sleep. Anyway, when our guests first arrived, my stomach dropped.

It was the return of *Jane.

I came in contact with Jane early last year. It was my first, and what I had hoped would be my last time. The night she arrived, everything was fine, save for a disruptive guest who was a bit of a bother all night. He woke up before the 6am wake up call being noisy and disruptive. Jane had much issue with this guest's actions. She went on and on complaining about him, mumbling and speaking in non-sequiturs. I spoke with the other guest, explaining the rules of behavior before wake up call, and everything was fine, except that Jane insisted on complaining. I gently explained to her that now she was being the disruptive one. After wake up call, she approached me, still angry that I had scolded her and defiant. I explained my position, but soon found out it was to be of no use. Viewing her behavior, it became quite clear what I was dealing with - schizophrenia.

Jane wouldn't let up, and proceeded to follow me around the shelter admonishing me. Finally, after much confrontation, I asked for her name. Because she wouldn't supply that information, I decided to best her and do roll call again; weeding out the names until I zeroed in on hers. In that short span of time, Jane managed to write up a five page manifesto on mini notepad paper, of why she was being "oppressed". Words such as "Jews", "Nazis", and "resistance fighters" peppered the pages. That is when I was truly aware that I had a live one here. After much back and forth, Jane finally pointed at me and exclaimed, "YOU, ARE A NAZI!!" After that remark, what could I do? I threw my hands up, walked away, and in a sing-songy "whatever" voice said, "Okay, so I'm a Nazi!"

We were so relieved when the bus to pick up our guests finally arrived. Doesn't it always seem like forever when things are going pear-shaped?

And my shelter partner that night. Where exactly was she during all of this hullabaloo? In hiding folks. Now you know why I don't mind being alone.

A few months after this chaotic meeting, my friend and I were walking in my neighborhood, and to my surprise, we passed by Jane. She looked terrible. Judging by the look of her, you could tell that she was out of shelter system and onto the streets. There is a definitive look about someone who is on the street and knows how to handle that brutal life, and someone who doesn't. Jane was the latter.

Well, last night and this morning, Jane was her usual cranky self, but without the outbursts. My guess is that she got back on her meds. Even her appearance was different. Plus, she was more talkative with the other guests. She even approached me about a problem with the ladies' bathroom. I tensed up a bit knowing that whatever my response was could make or break her behavior. Thankfully, it was fine.

I was glad to see her go, but it left mixed feelings inside of me. Why would the pickup station put her on the bus when they were told that she was banned? Perhaps it was the passage of time that made them forget. But still. While my gut says I don't want her there anymore, my rational mind says that it's necessary to understand the plight of mentally disabled persons. Last night, things went off without a hitch. But that was only one night. Not to mention that I was on my toes all night about her presence there and that keeps me from doing my job properly. Who can predict that Jane won't ever act up again? My fear is that she will start up on someone else, someone who is new at shelter duty. What if it's worse and Jane hurts someone? I made the decision. I went with my gut. I am going to voice my concerns to the shelter coordinator and have her banned again. In the long run, it's for the best.

I simply must put my safety first.

*Names changed to protect the insane.

March Shelter Duty

Last night was my night for shelter duty this month. If you remember, the last time it was my turn, the shelter was cancelled for the weekend. It turns out they had been sick. Last night my fellow volunteer was a newbie. I hope she'll return as she appears to be the type to return. She seemed to take everything in stride and she had shelter experience in Texas during Hurricane Katrina.

Turns out, the cool thing was that she's a fashion student at FIT. I always get excited when I have the chance to "talk shop" with someone who is familiar with the business. We both rolled our eyes and laughed with much understanding when she explained that almost everyone in her major expects to become a buyer. It's difficult sometimes being in fashion, especially since I'm not on the retail end of the field. When people find out I'm in fashion, invaribly they think of The Devil Wears Prada, and I have to gently explain that I'm not a part of that aspect. Once I begin to explain overseas production details and sell-thru percentages, the conversation usually comes to a complete halt.

Everything went smoothly except for one guest who seemed so anxious and forgetful. He made up his bed and began to look for his belongings. We pointed out that they were on another bed. He walked over and began making up that bed. We explained that he just needed to bring his belonging over to the bed he originally made up, and this appeared to boggle his mind somehow.

After walking around out of sorts for a bit, he proceeded to try and make yet another bed. Finally, I got huffy and explained that he was to use only the bed he originally made up and that he was only making more work for us by setting up other beds. I got the feeling that he couldn't comprehend the idea that he already picked out his bed. I swear I smelled alcohol on his breath, which would explain his actions; and give me reason to ban him. He appeared non-threatening so I left it as is. I am not one to wield that kind of power so freely.

This guest ended up tossing and turning, and when he was not in his bed, walking around all night. This morning, when we all woke up, we saw that he had already left before everyone else; choosing not to wait for the bus that picks up all of our guests.

I really hope he finds the peace he needs.

Cancelled

Shelter duty was cancelled tonight.

It was last minute and the decision was handed down from the main shelter. No explanations were given, except that this whole weekend is called off. Something about sickness (food poisoning?).

I hope and pray that all is well with our guests.

Shelter Duty

Last night was the second time in almost ten years that I did shelter duty by myself. Usually, there are two volunteers on staff. I actually enjoyed it more alone. Less room for chaos, and I felt I had a better handle on what needed to be done; although it's hard to gauge on those two experiences alone. Not a bad night except for one guest who tossed and turned throughout the night. Of course, he happened to get the one bed that was covered in plastic, so it amplified a million times on the stage. Also, the bus arrived early and that always sucks.

A pleasant addition to shelter duty is that I get to walk home as the morning light comes up. It's a nice feeling. Lately, it's a drag walking down Lexington because in the past, walking home from shelter duty, the prostitutes were entertaining. These weren't your ordinary ho-bags, but something out of a bad 70's movie. Three girls: one black, two white, with a Huggy Bear type pimp - complete with a feather in his hat. One of the girls always wore a short white rabbit fur coat and there was no shortage of spandex between them.

It was so stereotypical it brought you to hysterics!