NicoleDuvall

Today we started early and we went back over to the Nashville Mission to volunteer our services. I was real excited today because we were able to choose where we wanted to work-basement, kitchen, folding clothes, etc. I chose to work in the kitchen because I really wanted to help serve and I figured that would be a good opportunity to talk one on one with the mission’s program participants. I didn’t get a chance to work on the serving line but I did get to help get desserts ready and chop up some ham. It was fun, but still kind of tiring but I was definitely more exhausted yesterday working in the basement.
While I was picking up trays in the dining area, a gentlemen by the name of Mike, asked me if I would mind getting him a cup of ice and I told him that sure, I didn’t mind and then he asked for some water. He seemed really friendly and was asking me what brought me to TN. I told him that we were a group of college students, my major, and a few other facts about me. Then, what I found really interesting was that when I got ready to leave, he said “Pleas don’t leave me,” and I just immediately sat back down. Sitting across from us was a middle aged guy who was just talking nonstop… to himself… Mike said that he does that just to get attention and that I shouldn’t feel uncomfortable, because I guess it was obvious that I looked a little uncomfortable. Then he told me a little bit about his life, that he had a son that he hadn’t seen in a while and that he has been in the program for a couple months trying to get his life back on track. He also said that the Mission has really helped him come through a lot of hard times.
I also talked to another guy named Willie also. He told us that he had a son and a daughter back in Alabama and that he missed them greatly but doesn’t want to go back until he gets his life turned back around- he had a drug problem evidently- I didn’t want to ask too much. He seemed to know a lot of people for having had been there since December 2008. I almost cried when he was telling us that he had lost his wife, mother, and father last year and it just sent him into a downward spiral. I really almost cried-it was very depressing-I get so emotional. That is one thing that I ‘m really worried about-is just breaking down and bawling-so far, I’ve been able to control myself.
Later on I went back downstairs and sorted through shampoo and different hygiene products. There is endless stuff to sort through downstairs and we certainly made a dent, but most of the day I spent upstairs.
In the evening we went over to the Campus for Human Development-which was the first time for me- for game/movie/pizza night. I played a Pictionary sort of game while others watched Stomp the Yard. The campus definitely was definitely not as nice as the mission-building wise. We really didn’t get to interact with some of the people but Ms. Wendy seemed pretty nice. I’m a little nervous about tomorrow thought, because I hear she is a little rough and demanding. Hopefully tomorrow will be fun and we will get to meet some really cool people.