JenniferBowman

Jennifer Bowman

3-8-09

Nashville Trip Day 2

Today we went to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts to see their exhibit called Seeing Ourselves which is about a place in Nashville called Safe Haven. The exhibit was really interesting and I learned a lot about Safe Haven through a video that they had playing. Safe Haven is a place for families to live together when they have no other place to go and need help getting back on their feet. This place works hard to keep families together and gives them help with financial and career work. Safe Haven is a great organization because when you hit rock bottom the last thing that you need is to be torn apart from your family.

There were also photographs at the exhibit that were taken by the people of Safe Haven who were given cameras to help them take pictures that reflected their feelings about their life now and what they wish to be in the future. My favorite picture was one called “Luka and Me.” It is a picture of some kids with a dog and it explains that the dog is a member of the staff and his job is to provide unconditional love and friendship to the children at Safe Haven. This is really important to me because I am a huge dog lover and I understand the love that someone can feel just by having a dog by their side. I am glad that the people at Safe Haven also find this important.

Another thing that I learned from this video and exhibit is that not all homeless people start out homeless or do not have jobs. Some of them have homes and big families and they just cannot make enough money to keep the house and end up losing it. I have always had a bad idea in my head that homeless people do not work. I now know that some of them work hard and do their best but certain jobs just do not pay enough money to take care of a large family with children. It really bothered me to see children without homes because I am an elementary education major so I have a huge heart for children.