Repulsion or compassion—it was a decision I had to make in a split second. His feet were blistered, with fresh wounds oozing. He wanted to try on the new shoes donated from the Elk Grove Church of Christ. The guests at HART's Winter Sanctuary had been waiting for weeks for these promised shoes and he didn't want to miss out. He wanted them on his feet. Now.
"You're next in line for a shower. Why don't you wait to try them on?"
But he was adamant, "Someone else might take them. Please." His desperate plea won me over. Fresh socks and bandages didn't make sense before taking a shower, so I carefully put the shoes on his feet, trying not to hurt him. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Can I really have these?"
Disbelief was common during the 12 weeks of HART's Winter Sanctuary. Why would people care enough to give out new shoes, feed delicious hot meals, drive in the pouring rain and then pick everyone up at dawn, to hang out with them, to become friends.
Repulsion or compassion is often a decision many of us must make every day when encountering a homeless person. Love or hate, selfishness or selflessness. Lives are always changed during our 12-Week Winter Sanctuary, because over 1,000 volunteers choose selfless compassion. Thank you volunteers of Elk Grove HART's Winter Sanctuary! You have made Elk Grove a better place.