Blog Posts

February 23, 2022 By Central OAC

The Simple Things

by Ke’Andra Hayes (GSU Bachelor of Social Work Intern)

Many individuals feel the primary way to help someone experiencing homelessness is to give them money or food, which is not always the best thing. Although anything is appreciated, there are other ways to be impactful and giving. This thought is something I learned pretty quickly being an intern at Central OAC and working with our guests experiencing homelessness. I never took into consideration how simple things matter the most. During my first week of internship, my supervisor stated, “You never know when it was last that the guest had someone to talk to and listen to them.” Her statement has continued to stay with me each day. Something as simple as being a listening ear has the potential to make a difference in someone’s day. Simple questions such as “How’s your day going?” and “How are you?” are great ways to help people experiencing homelessness. Sometimes I think we forget the simple things, at least I do. Giving food and money is easy, but it doesn’t hurt to give some time.

We sometimes look at a person’s current situation and forget they have a story also, and we can no longer look at individuals experiencing homelessness through one lens. They are simply trying to make lemonade with the lemons life has thrown their way. I challenge you to think about the simple things in your life that you may have taken for granted and then change your interaction with those experiencing homelessness. Give a helping hand, volunteer, encourage someone, advocate, ask them how they are doing, and most importantly, show them respect. Being an intern at the OAC has taught me about social work and myself as a person. I appreciate every guest who comes in and shares their story with me and who makes me laugh. I devote my day to returning the favor and doing everything I can to assist them, hoping I can make their day as great as they have made mine. Being surrounded by individuals at the OAC who genuinely love helping everyone around them is truly inspiring. It taught me to never take life for granted and appreciate the simple things.

July 29, 2021 By Central OAC

We All Have a Story

by Brenna Lakeson

(TW: abuse, addiction, mental illness)

Each day, dozens of guests come to the OAC. Some of them we know well and others are just passing through. Sometimes, as we do case management with a guest, we get glimpses into their lives as they tell us about their struggles. It can be a heavy task to sit with someone and hear their story.

This past month, it seems as though we’ve had quite a few guests come through the OAC who are struggling with different types of traumatic events, moreso than usual. Sometimes, we’re equipped to help with these situations and, other times, all we can do is listen. It can be difficult to know that the most you can do for someone is hold space for their story, but that can make all the difference.

Recently, a guest came to our door with a particularly heartbreaking story. We had never met this guest before, but we took the time to listen to what they had to say. While I can’t share much about their story due to their safety, I do want to tell you a little bit about them. They were running from someone dangerous, who had had control over them for years, and they were struggling to get anyone to believe their story. We sat with them, got details of their situation, and called the right people to get them started with some assistance. As the guest got ready to leave, they began to cry, telling us that we were the first to take them seriously. “You’re the first one to actually do anything to help me,” they said. It felt like we hadn’t physically done much, but, for this guest, saying “I believe you” lifted a huge weight off of them.

Earlier this week, another guest came in for help with ID. While working with a case manager, he expressed a desire to get into a detox program. He’d been struggling with addiction on and off for years and told his case manager that he was finally ready to get clean. Getting and staying clean on the street can be incredibly hard, so the courage and determination that it took for him to reach out for help was admirable. We were able to get him started with the intake process for a substance abuse treatment program. He was excited and relieved to finally have a plan in place.

Last week, a guest came into our center for the first time. He was staying at a shelter and needed an ID in order to continue staying there. As he sat with his case manager, he wiggled his legs and looked around nervously. It was clear that he was anxious. His case manager finished applying for his birth certificate and Social Security card, so he took his things and left. Minutes later, though, our security guard came back into the lobby to tell us that this same guest was having a mental health crisis. We brought him back into the center and called 9-1-1. A staff member did some breathing exercises with him as we waited for the Grady Mental Health Team to arrive. They were able to take him to the hospital to get the help he needed. He thanked us for our help as he got into the van. It was brave of him to reach out for help in such a hard moment.

Our guests deal with so much on a daily basis, and, often, they just want a listening ear: someone to take them seriously, hear their concerns, and assist them in getting the help they need. While we are not law enforcement, EMTs, or DFCS, we can advocate for our guests by helping them reach out to the right people. Each guest has a story. We do our best each day to hear them, see them, and be with them.

June 17, 2021 By Central OAC

Did Anything Positive Come Out of COVID?

by Kimberly Parker

Mask up. Social distance. Wash your hands. No travel. No gathering in large groups. No visits outside of your household. No eating inside restaurants.

The list could probably go on and on. I think a lot of us remember the bad, the negative, and the things that were contradictory to the life we normally lived. It’s sometimes hard to see beyond the negative aspects of what this last year and a half have brought to our individual lives and to our society as a whole.

It was hard enough on the average person or the person who has everything they need, but it was even worst for people experiencing homelessness.

Shelters either closed or drastically cut the number of people they could host. Direct service agencies closed or limited the number of people who could receive services. Soup kitchens shut down. Government buildings like the Department of Driver Services or the Social Security Administration closed their doors.

Life got even harder for those experiencing homelessness.

I have tried throughout the last couple of months to find positive outcomes for Central Outreach and Advocacy Center. We were not able to have a fundraiser in 2020, so, in 2021, we decided we needed to be creative. We wanted to have a virtual event, but at the same time, we were keenly aware that people were fatigued of doing things online.

We created something brand new for Central OAC: “In Their Shoes: 10 Mile Challenge,” based on research that shows a person experiencing homelessness can walk an average of 10 miles per day. This was our most successful fundraiser we have ever had! COVID pushed us out of our comfort zone and forced us to try something new.

We also changed the ways that we operate on a daily basis, with fewer people inside at one time. We are using some of our outside areas for seating while guests wait. We are performing our daily mail checks, a huge service that we offer, at our doorway, cutting down on the chaos and conflict that can happen when too many people are packed into our lobby. These may not sound like positive outcomes to the general public, but it has created more peaceful environment for our staff and our guests, allowing us to give more direct focus to those we are working with each day.

For me, one of the most positive aspects is eye contact with our guests. With everyone wearing masks up over the nose and mouth, we can’t see the mouth, the normal place to look for a smile or a frown or another emotion. I found myself really focusing on a person’s eyes while doing mail check each day. A lot can be communicated in the eyes and I found this to be a very positive outcome for me. I want to hold on to this focus with people, all people whom I encounter each day. It helps me to pay more attention to them!

What are the positive things that came out of COVID-19 for you?