JessicaKirk

Kirk, Jessica

3-8-09

Alternative Spring Break in Nashville

Day Two

Today we went to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Nashville to view a exhibit called Seeing Ourselves which is on homelessness. What made this exhibit really unique is that all of the pictures was taken by homeless people and not just a photographer who would take the photos of them in their moments of weakness and then go home to his home. All of these homeless people are participants in the Safe Haven Family Shelter.

Safe Haven really is a remarkable program that offers many homeless people and even families a warm, safe place, and a chance to get back on their feet. In a video that they was showing in the exhibit they showed this one family who had finally moved into their own place. The mother was a single mom with I think maybe 3 really young children, and as she was in tears over the fact that she was finally in a place where she wanted she wanted to be in her life for her and her children. As she cried I started to tear up, and when I looked around everyone else was either tearing up or crying as well. This was a very rewarding experience because we was able to see what homelessness is life but through the eyes and words of those who are actually experiencing it or experienced it.

The only negative experience I could really see in this exhibit is that you don't really get the one on one experience as you do with at the Campus for Human Development. But at the same time it still is really rewarding because the photos really are interesting. My favorite of the photos was one by a 7 year old girl named Hadassah.

The picture is of her I think and another child and Luka. Luka is a dog that is a member of the Safe Haven staff. Luka serves as a vital part of the experience for children because typically homeless people do not have pets, and every child should have at least one pet. Luka sat beside them in a protective and sheltering way that seemed very comforting to the children.