ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604150002
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL LINDSEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
As many college students closed their books and began their weeklong spring break last month, a group of Virginia Tech students continued their education in the school of hard knocks.
Seventeen student volunteers traveled to the Community for Creative Non-Violence homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., to broaden their education beyond the classroom. They learned of the many hardships of living on the streets by interacting with the homeless.
The students stayed at the shelter for five days as part of one of the university's YMCA Alternative Spring Break. While there, the volunteers visited and worked in the shelter, various soup kitchens in the area and the Capital Area Food Bank. They also helped provide day care for underprivileged children and senior citizens.
The main goal was to learn about the causes and experience of homelessness.
Students cooked and prepared meals for the homeless guests at the Church of the Brethren soup kitchen. When everyone had been served, the students joined them. They saw exactly who the homeless were and heard some of their incredible stories. One man held Eleanor Limprecht's hand for a long time after shaking it. "It seemed like he hadn't been touched by another person in a long time," she said.
"You really don't do them a favor by just helping with a meal. They really need love," said Bryan Rowe, a Tech junior.
Some students went to Martha's Table, which is an organization that takes meals out to the homeless on the streets. The organization also provides day care for children. While there the students played with the kids and taught them how to type on donated computers.
It surprised Mandy Foulks to find "the kids were starving for attention." Counselors were too busy trying to establish discipline to give them the loving attention they needed, Foulks said.
The students also went to see Michael Stoops, who works for the National Coalition for the Homeless. He explained to them the sheer size and complexity of the homelessness issue today.
While there the group met Jim Peterson, who said he'd only recently ended 17 years of being homeless.
He encouraged students to get involved and ask their government representatives, "What's your plan to end homelessness?" If they don't have one ask, "Why not?"
At the shelter, students worked alongside residents, volunteers and students from other universities. They received a tour and learned the history of the shelter, which used to be an abandoned college building.
In the early 1980s, many of the capital area's homeless stayed there for shelter, in barely livable conditions.
In 1984, CCNV leader Mitch Snyder went on a 51-day hunger strike to get President Reagan's administration to promise to renovate the decrepit building. It took four more years of fighting with the government to get the improvements accomplished.
Today, the shelter is broken into separate wings to host the 1,300 residents. There is an infirmary, a clinic, a clean-and-sober program and case workers available on site.
Residents are allowed to stay for a year. Wendy Fletcher, a junior, saw how this helped people start to rebuild their lives after hitting rock bottom. After that year they are barred for a year. If a resident violates any of the rules he is barred for various periods of time.
Because of the trip and its experiences, senior Monique Hoeflinger said now she isn't as hesitant to go up and talk to a homeless person as before.
Perhaps Lorena Melgarejo, a Tech freshman, learned the most important lesson about helping the homeless. Said Melgarejo: "Giving a dollar isn't as good as stopping and talking to someone."
Michael Lindsey also writes for Virginia Tech's Collegiate Times, and first wrote about this student project for that paper.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JAMES GIBNEY. Ryan Nissim-Sabat shares a moment withby CNBsome of the children at Martha's Table, an after-school program.