Break from the Streets

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-06-30 04:02:00 UTC
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Living without a home of your own can be exhausting. The worries are endless, the fear is real, the stress unimaginable.

Given the heavy toll of this societal ill - homelessness - it can be tough some days to find a silver lining. But low and behold, on event the most dire news days, there's always something that will squeak a smile across my face .

I hope these stories make you smile, too:

The Homeless Games in Dallas
This weekend, 550 people gathered in a Dallas, Texas park to play games, eat, relax, and take a much needed break from the day-to-day struggles of living without a home. The event is unique, because homeless families rarely have the time, space, or peace of mind to just play, according to the Dallas Morning News:

"We don't usually get to see people in such a relaxed setting, when their minds aren't on their issues," mission director Bill Thompson said. "We want it to be an experience like they'd have if they were at a family Fourth of July picnic."

Melinda Porter, 30, said she relished "a chance to just feel normal."

"My kids are having a blast - we don't usually get to do anything like this. We just sit inside most of the time," said Porter, who attended the games with her friend Lorrain Batiste, 31.

[Photo from the Dallas Morning News: "Darion Peterson barely missed a pass Saturday at the annual Homeless Games Day at Reverchon Park. Organizers want to provide stress relief for people struggling with difficult life situations."]

5 Days, 25 States, 40 Pizza Parties
Talk about an ambitious attempt to reach the masses. Nonprofit eyeBlink is throwing (you guessed it) 40 pizza parties in 25 states in five days. Phew.

Each party features musicians to lighten the mood. According to TV personality Obaid Kadwani, creator of the project, "In tough times, you need hope. You need a moment when you can forget your cares. So we do that. We donate food, we provide music, people are happy and clapping and dancing."

Improving the world, one slice of extra-cheese at a time.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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