Sleep-Out to End Homelessness

A liberal arts student trying to “leverage their privilege” by spending the summer working at a homeless shelter – a classic move for a self-proclaimed social justice warrior. But, when I accepted a position as a Shepherd Poverty Intern at John Graham Housing & Services I wasn’t thinking about the juxtaposition of working at a homeless shelter while attending a college with a $1.1 billion endowment. I was thinking about working in solidarity with low-income and homeless individuals because I believe that every person deserves to live a dignified life and that giving someone a safe place to lay their head at night is not only the first step toward a dignified life but also a human right.

Now, I’m not a “typical” student at Middlebury; My family isn’t wealthy. I’m the first in my immediate family to attend a private college. I went to a public school where poverty was rampant. Despite my working class background, I’ve never had to worry about my basic needs being met; I never fret about when I would eat next or if I’d have a home in which I could sleep unlike many of my peers in high school.

Having grown up in an economically-depressed area, I have been hypersensitive to issues surrounding class and inequality for many years and this consequently piqued my interest during my junior year of high school in an internship working in local government, particularly in the area of social services. I ended up enjoying my job, and worked there on and off until I left my hometown to attend college.

Although I spent most of my time crunching numbers, I also spent a considerable amount of time listening to conversations regarding the delivery of services to low-income individuals. While many people engaged in conversations were dedicated to helping people live dignified lives, the majority of those in these discussions instead viewed poverty as a product of laziness and entitlement.

These sentiments were not just confined to a conference room, though. Like most right-leaning areas, in my hometown, it is a common thought that a large portion of those who receive any type of government assistance are “leeches on the system” who should just “go get a job”. Even though I cringed to hear these words knowing that some of my friends were dependent on government assistance, at the time, I was just a reserved adolescent who hadn’t really been immersed in another narrative. Thus, I thought that my feelings about everyone’s right to live a dignified life were isolated ones.

I couldn’t have been more incorrect.

Fast forward more than a year to the summer after my first year of college. Surrounded by the positive energy of a Vermont summer, I began working at John Graham. During my first day on the job, the assistant director oriented me with the shelter’s philosophy. Its philosophy was one that was vastly different from which I was accustomed. The Shelter believed that everyone —regardless of their background — deserved housing as a human right. Without meeting this basic need, it’s nearly impossible to overcome addiction, seek employment or even be remotely healthy. Their food shelf did not have limits; when those we served needed food, we gave them what they needed, whenever they needed it.

We advocated for clients. We were not trying to give them a rigmarole about accessing services; we instead provided them with a service-rich environment in which they could thrive and become self-sustaining.

Most importantly, however, individuals were treated like humans. Ensuring that each one of our clients knew that they were worth something made a noticeable difference in how successful they were. It seems like a simple concept that when individuals are humanized and treated with compassion they are able to more easily and quickly reach a point of self-sufficiency. But, in so many narratives today — particularly conservative ones — social programs are seen as unnecessary and wasteful. According to this school of thought, the only way to fight poverty and end a “system of dependence” is with austerity — the rapid defunding and degradation of vital social programs. This type of talk not only is regressive but it affirms that dehumanizing poor and low-income people is morally just. Cutting food stamps doesn’t force people to “work harder,” it causes recipients to starve. Slashing Section 8 vouchers doesn’t make people “get off the system,” it forces recipients onto the streets. And limiting Medicaid coverage doesn’t “improve work ethics,” it causes people to die from treatable illnesses.

When I stepped off as an intern at the Shelter right before the academic year, I witnessed how successful people are when they’re treated with dignity and their basic needs are met. John Graham Housing & Services has it right. This is what they do every day, and they are constantly flooded with former residents who are dying to tell their success stories.

As a Middlebury community, we constantly acknowledge the fact that we are such a privileged institution. Because we are in such a privileged position, the least we can do is to help to support our most vulnerable community members. This Saturday is the perfect opportunity to continue the success stories coming out of John Graham Housing & Service. On Dec. 5, the Shelter will hold its second annual Sleep-out to End Homelessness. At 4 p.m., community members will gather for a candlelight vigil on the Middlebury Town Green followed by a light  supper. Afterwards, community members will build an encampment by Otter Creek Falls to spend just one night in the cold that our homeless neighbors have to deal with daily. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of this event is the fundraising part. Please visit go/sleepout to make a donation or visit the Shelter’s Facebook. Last year the sleep-out fundraised enough to purchase a transitional housing unit in Middlebury that has since housed multiple working families, veterans and chronically homeless individuals.

Please join me and other community members this Saturday for any parts of the event or consider making a gift to the Shelter so that it may continue the great work that it does to make our community the best that it can be. I hope to see you there!