I found common ground in a polarized world volunteering in Des Moines
It all began with a photo in the Register last winter. I recall seeing two volunteers from a homeless resource center, Joppa, all bundled up walking down a snowy embankment to reach out to unhoused folks in the greater Des Moines area. With my comfortable life and focus mostly on national and international issues, I wanted to find ways to get more connected and involved with our own community.
I was moved and called Joppa to ask about volunteering. From the website, I read:
JOPPA HELPS HOMELESS PEOPLE SURVIVE, FIND HOUSING AND REBUILD THEIR LIVES.
Our Mission: To create communities of unconditional love, support and hope for the homeless, as we work together to prevent and ultimately end homelessness.
What We Do: Joppa collaborates with community partners, helps homeless people access existing resources, and mobilizes private donations from families, churches and organizations to meet unmet needs in homeless services, housing and education.
Homeless folks in our community live in tents, under tarps and bridges. In the winter those with enclosed encampments may have portable heaters fueled by propane.
Soon after reading the story, my introduction to Joppa volunteering was at their resource center on Euclid Avenue where I joined a father and two kids sweeping, mopping and moving items around in a warehouse of sleeping bags, tents, propane heaters, surround by canned foods and fresh foods ready for delivery. We were assisted by a man who walked around and seemed to know what he was doing. Turns out that man was Joe Stevens, one of the co-founders, along with his wife, Jacki, who started Joppa in their garage some 15 years ago.
After that half day, I shared several meals with Joe and his wife to learn more about what they were doing. My wife, Claire, and I started our monthly work after that, joining a host of volunteers on a Sunday afternoon, loading up our vehicles, now emblazoned with metallic Joppa signs and with the supplies to be shared with folks we met. Before each trip out all the volunteers meet and are reminded of the mission to serve all with respect and kindness. Someone in the group offers to say a prayer and we are off for the afternoon.
By iPads, we follow a well-organized list of folks who have been entered into the Joppa mobile app and have names and approximate locations of their encampments. We each have a role — all to be friendly and as helpful as we can to the folks we meet, taking turns handing out toilet paper, water, hot sandwiches, frozen foods, fresh foods, first aid supplies, hygiene supplies, and even mail delivered to the central office. When our Joppa vehicles pull up to an edge of the woods, we holler out "Joppa!” to announce our arrival. I continue to be impressed with the many people who come out of the woods to meet us and get their weekly supplies of sustenance goods. Each of us engages each person we meet — asking their names, if not known already, and asking them if there is anything else they need. A list is kept of who needs batteries, more propane for their heaters, and other items they might request.
I know we all see folks on street corners, on highway exits, who have signs saying “Any Amount Helps” and often “Homeless Veteran” among others. Before my work with Joppa I would always wave or say hello to those folks on the corners. Now, if traffic allows, I offer water, which is always accepted, and share that I am a volunteer with Joppa, which brings out a smile, thanks, and a recognition. I pass out Joppa cards that explain their Homeless Resource Center hours Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. Many are already connected. In a gift to myself, I no longer feel uncomfortable in just saying hello but can offer and be part of a community resource that helps to save lives and offers options to get those who are unhoused housing. Since its beginning 15 years ago Joppa has helped nearly 600 individuals get off the street into housing.
And while Joppa describes itself as "faith-based," I find that volunteers I have met and worked with run the gamut from conservative to progressive religious and political views. A pastor in training prayed with some of the homeless folks we met, but otherwise religion was not mentioned out in the field. Instead we are all involved in the practice of putting our beliefs into action. I am impressed with how this and other efforts in our community in the areas of food banks, soup kitchens and disaster support are examples where partisanship is set aside.
It reminds me in Des Moines when I and many others joined together to fill sand bags to protect areas from flooding. This can be a model for our community, and beyond, to find common ground to help those in need.
Dr. David E. Drake is an Iowa psychiatrist. Contact: drakeoffice@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Helping people in need in Des Moines helps to build community
