An Attitude of Gratitude: America's Homeless Volunteer for Africa's Needy

On October 16th, homeless people in Boulder are going the extra mile to show that they are a valuable part of the community. As part of Global Hope International Network's ServeHope project, a team of homeless people will be cleaning the banks of Boulder Creek. The money raised will go to support efforts to help African villages become sustainable.

Teams of local student activists will do the online fundraising for homeless participants. There is a growing desire among local student groups and others to develop legitimate relationships with the homeless, and this project is giving them an outlet to support and connect with street people in a tangible and compelling way.

One reason this is such a powerful symbol of community-building in Boulder is the perception that much of the litter along the banks of Boulder Creek is due to homeless people. While there are many camps along the banks which undoubtedly contribute to the detritus, the creek is also used by families, sightseers and the ubiquitous fitness buffs. So while not all of the litter is from homeless people, this multi-use area is one of those zones of homeless/public interaction. For that reason, resentment has been building from the mainstream community. It probably doesn't help that the street community has developed a ritual of throwing people in the creek to express displeasure or censure.

Organizer Ken Miller is one of those visionaries who understands our interconnectedness. In addition to a lifetime of international mission work, service on multiple non-profit boards and his role as an elder at his church, he conceived this project as a way to express the integral role of homeless people in our community, as people who have something to give.

Groups are signing up fast. Currently the street paper the Denver Voice, the Carriage House Community Table (the shelter where I work), the Footsteps program and Boulder Outreach for Homeless Overflow (a warming shelter organization) are sending teams. City Councilor George Karakehian has also agreed to sign up. "I am happy to work alongside homeless people and I plan to spend the day," he said. "I feel a responsibility to what you might call 'the least of these.'"

Social paradigms are being shifted — not the least of which is the self-esteem of the homeless team members, who realize that their efforts help not just themselves, but also those who have even less.

Photo credit: woodley wonderworks