An enriching program offered through Student and Community Engagement (SCE) at Capital seems to operate under the radar, but has a steady and growing involvement of students. To shed light on this opportunity, I signed up with SCE to go the Van Buren Community Shelter with fellow students to see what kind of experience this program provided.
I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect as I signed my name to the sheet outside SCE’s office in the Student Union. But I came in with an open mind ready to take in the experience. I was one of five students gathered in the SCE office before we departed on the short drive to the Van Buren Community Shelter. The building is established on the outskirts of the city, as the Columbus skyline peeks over the horizon.
After stepping through a metal detector as per the protocol, we were welcomed by a very warming staff. Charity Eilerman, the director of the Van Buren Community Shelter, guided us on a tour of the building while proudly revealing to us the improvements and renovations recently made.
The Van Buren Community Shelter in previous years served strictly women, children, and their families living on the streets on Columbus. In order to meet Columbus’s growing homeless population, Van Buren made accommodations to house single men in a separate wing of the building. The building can house nearly 400 individuals at a given time.
Eilerman proceeded to take us to the newly built playground area. The Columbus Blue Jackets recently partnered with Van Buren to sponsor the new playground, and players took part in the construction of the playground in early September. A computer lab oversees the playground, so individuals can keep an eye on their children while they complete paperwork, resumes, job applications, etc. A new homework area with computers and books has also been built recently.
But the tour wasn’t the purpose of our visit. We were directed to the kitchen in the family wing, where we met workers and other volunteers. Each of us was assigned a task, serving the prepared meals for the families living at the center.
The doors opened and families quickly assembled in a line. There were men, women, couples, and families with children. My task was to scoop diced pineapples on a tray already filled with salad, a chicken sandwich, and stuffing. This lunch tray was then given to each individual at the center. Many expressed their gratitude with a simple “Thank you,” others with a smile of appreciation. Some simply took the tray quietly to their seats.
Then one man paused after receiving his tray, turning to me, “Could I have another one for my wife? She’ll be down in a minute.”
This moment particularly struck a chord with me. Here was man who found himself in an unfortunate situation of poverty that landed him in Van Buren. Yet, despite his misfortunes, he sought to accomplish the simple task of getting a tray for his wife. It was very humbling to see this simple act of love in these circumstances.
In between waves of individuals, I glanced around the dining hall from my spot in the kitchen. In the front table was a single father with his toddler son. His son, frustrated and tired, wanted no part in the food he was trying to feed him. It struck me to see that despite his son’s cries and refusals to eat, the father did not get mad or frustrated with his son. He calmly waited for his son to relax before trying again. Families came and went, and it took him the whole allotted time given to eat for his son to eat his food. The patience the father showed left me speechless. It would be easy and quite understandable for the father to lose his frustration, and scold or yell at his son for refusing to eat. But the patience he showed exemplified the love he had for his son despite the circumstances they were in.
A teenage girl came up in the line wearing a Capital hoodie.
“All right, Capital!”
“Hey! We go to Capital!”
“Go Cap!”
We all greeted her and a sheepish smile crept across her face. It’s at moments like these you can’t help but appreciate the little things like a compliment or a smile.
A young boy about 12 years of age came up to the line to receive his food. After receiving his meal, he turned to a worker and mumbled, “I leave on Thursday.”
“Oh! Good for you! We’ll miss you but we’re happy for you!” The worker responded.
This exchange between the worker and the boy spoke of the mission of the shelter. The Van Buren Community Shelter ultimately seeks to place their residents in permanent housing. In their lobby, a dry-erase board hangs announcing that 409 individuals and their families have been placed in housing through their services.
As a junior at Capital, I have always seen the Van Buren service option for students advertised on bulletin boards and Stall Talks throughout campus. Every time I saw them, I made a mental note to sign up and take part in the service. Yet, as a typical college student, something always seemed to get in the way. Now, having partaken in the Van Buren service, I realized what I have been missing.
It was an honor to serve with this organization. It was an incredibly humbling experience that every Capital student should take advantage of. I most definitely will be returning to Van Buren through this SCE opportunity. This experience reminded me of how a simple act of kindness can go a long way.
Volunteering at the Van Buren Community Center requires only a couple hours out of a Monday afternoon. Sign-up sheets can be found outside the SCE office.
