Today we started creating awareness for the homeless in Oakland County. We chose to create and hand out informational business cards with a simple message and website printed on them. Our goal was to work with store owners and the general public on the street with a simple approach to anyone who looked approachable. We also needed to deliver the message very quickly in order to connect with them for a few seconds. The message is short and concise; "Hi, we are creating awareness for the homeless in Oakland County for my school project. I created a website that points you to a bunch of ways that you can help. Please click on my site. Thank you!" I quickly found out that this is not an easy task. People don't like to be bothered. I guess they think I'm trying to sell something or ask for a donation. It seemed that women walking together were easiest to approach. Couples also seemed nice enough to talk to. I was with my Dad so together we learned alot. On our first encounter we met a man who gladly took our card. As he walked away, he stopped ahead of us, turned and complimented me on how cool of a thing I was doing. He went on to share his story with me and my Dad. When he moved here after graduating college with a degree in Performing Arts, he had nothing but his car and a few possessions. He could not afford a place to live, so he lived in his car and found safe lots to park and sleep in locally. He went on to say that he now employed as an actor and is living in the downtown Royal Oak area in an apartment.
We talked to a lot of people and also to local businesses. The Huntington Woods Recreation Center, New Species CrossFit, the Office Coffee Shop in Royal Oak, Bean & Leaf Cafe on Main Street, and finally Comet Burger. They all allowed me to post my information on their community bulletin boards.
It was 46 degrees on Saturday and we walked around for quite awhile. It was nice to walk into some of the shops to get warm. I can only imagine what not having a warm and safe place to live would be like. So far, this experience has really made me realize how many people don't want to be bothered with someone trying to help. It's hard because people just don't give you a chance. But once they do, they like the message. Again, I think it goes back to the thought that I'm going to ask for a donation or I'm selling something. My Dad says that our society is trained to stay away from people on the street. Approach with caution. Have your guard up....whatever it may be. We are taught at a young age not to talk to strangers. We are wired this way from the start. But occasionally someone is kind enough to share their story and say thank you for the effort.
