Today was a very bittersweet day for us. It was our last day with The Edge and Cafe 458 but it was also graduation day for the students in the career preparation class! Last night, we prepared by making them a poster with their class motto, PPAW: Professional, Positive, Ambitious Warriors, to hold up during the ceremony. The graduation ceremony wasn’t until 11 a.m. so we performed our usual duties until then. The computer lab was packed with people wanting to ask last minute questions about everything from email to resumes and cover letters and the clothes closet was buzzing with the constant stream of people because students had to look their best for the ceremony. We were also allowed to sit in on the last class the students had – a guest lecture from a Minister who had experienced homelessness and unemployment himself asking students to stay determined and not loose faith. The graduation’s keynote speaker had a similar story to share with the graduates. James Glenn was fired while in hospice because his employer thought he would not survive. He has HIV and consequently has suffered many other illnesses. After many long cold nights on the streets he saw a women drop her wallet in front of a department story. Glenn decided to give the woman her wallet back, even though it would have been easier for him to keep it. Because of his integrity, the woman recommended him for a job at the Coca-Cola Company. Now, Glen is the Executive Guest Relations Specialist at Coca-Cola. His story was very inspiring – even when life looks hopeless and bleak you shouldn’t loose faith or give up the fight, it’s your life, you decide how to live it. Needless to say, the graduates gave him a standing ovation.
After the ceremony the graduates had a really nice reception in the cafeteria with their friends and family to celebrate their success. Even though we’ve only known these people for a week they’ve really impacted our lives. We were honored during the graduation ceremony for all the work we’ve been doing with them but really we should be giving them thanks. Each and every single one of them is a living testament of what hard work and perseverance can achieve and each and every single one of them hold a special place in our hearts. We wish the best of luck for ACSS Class 7 graduates on their job search and any future endeavors.
After the reception and after all the graduates had left there was still a lot of food left – even though everyone had had seconds, thirds and some had even had fourths! We didn’t want all the food to go to waste so we filled up as many to-go plates as we could and we hit the streets of Atlanta looking for people in need! We literally drove around Atlanta trying to find homeless people to feed, a surprisingly difficult feat (are they homeless or just having a bad hair day...?). Every single person we gave a plate to thanked us so whole-heartedly we could literally feel their gratitude. It was extremely rewarding to see people’s faces light up over something as simple as food.
Since there was no one at The Emmaus house today we decided to spend the afternoon going around Atlanta. We visited Martin Luther King’s childhood neighborhood, burial place and museum. We went to an indoor market full of fruits, meets, breads and eccentric bookstores – we were on the hunt for Georgia peaches. We found some peaches but it wasn’t until we bought them that we realized they were actually from Chile (what the heck?). The perfect close to a great week was definitely strolling along the beautiful downtown area, a popular, vibrant collection of stores and restaurants comparable to the loop in St. Louis.
This experience has been life changing for many of us. Dealing with homelessness in Atlanta was both hard and rewarding at the same time. We’ve become close with a lot of the people we’ve met and we’ll definitely always have a spot in our hearts for the people of Cafe 458, The Edge and The Emmause House.
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