Atlanta - Homelessness

After a successful night of films and popcorn (avec M&Ms) we all got a full nights sleep and woke up ready for our second day of work. We split up into groups of six and four, those who had not been to Cafe 458 worked there for the day and the rest continued on at the Edge.

A few jobs at the Edge varied from organizing donated clothing and helping jobseekers edit their resumes. Being familiar with the surroundings and other volunteers made for a comfortable environment and allowed us to really interact with the people and employees. Otis: a fellow volunteer who serves as the volunteer coordinator at the Edge, really made us laugh throughout the day cracking jokes while guiding us through tasks. Around eleven thirty we left our jobs to help serve lunch at the soup kitchen-esque cafeteria connected to the Edge. Lynn, the director of the soup kitchen, has provided us with knowledge of Atlanta happenings and keeps the radio on the local old school jazz station that keeps us groovin' throughout the lunch hour.

A strong indicator of Southern hospitality is evident when all the children we work with at the Emmaus House reference us as "Miss (insert name)." Though they are still children; and that is evident after two hours of working with them. Two young ladies by the names of Mackenzie and Trinity serenaded us with songs such as Justin Bieber's "One Less Lonely Girl" and Keri Hilson's "Pretty Girl". Thought the students are less adamant about doing homework, participating in activities with them (such as drawing, playing on the computer, and board games) has been such a great opportunity to bond with them.

We are now ending day three in ATL with another movie after an enjoyable dinner of quesadillas and ice cream. More to come tomorrow!