A Reflection on Healing, Hope, and Companionship

Our Year Long Volunteer, Emma, reflects on the past year she’s spent at Christ House as the Activities Coordinator. 

“Lights, camera, action!”

The patient smiles and goes on, excitedly, to tell me a brief story of his life growing up, his schooling and career, how he came to Christ House, and what his hopes are for his life after he leaves. I listen attentively and ask an intermittent question to keep the interview going, but really it is the patient leading this activity. It seems this is a story he’s been wanting to tell for a long time.

As an avid reader and writer, I’ve always been fascinated by a good story. Early on in my time at Christ House one patient said to me, “Emma, you could find some bestsellers under this roof.” As I got to know the staff members and talked with more and more patients who came through, I saw that he was right. Working as the Activities Coordinator over the past year has afforded me the luxury of simply being able to sit and have a conversation with patients or talk about our life experiences over a game of chess or Mario Kart. As much as people might be suffering physically, I found that the need for someone to listen, for community, and for relaxation was just as important as the hope of regaining health.

This sense of community came about in different ways: through in-house New Day meetings, the activities that other volunteers and I planned, and the natural bonds that can be formed when people who are going through tough circumstances lean on each other for support. Indeed, some of the most beautiful friendships I witnessed or formed at Christ House were between people of different cultures and different languages who truly looked out for each other.

Christ House’s mission is to “provide healing and hope for homeless persons,” and I think any of the staff would tell you that it is not only the patients receiving hope and healing, but also giving the same. This is certainly true in my experience. In January a friend of mine was killed in D.C., and when I first returned to Christ House I was miserable. During my first week back one of the patients asked me to help him decorate a baseball hat, as he didn’t have great use of his hands. In the course of that simple activity–done together–I remembered why I had come to Christ House in the first place; I wanted to find some way to be of service to other people. The striking thing is all the patients I found who were willing to do the same. At Christ House people tell each other, “Keep coming back. It gets better.” They mean it, and you find that their words are true.

The Activities Coordinator position is probably the “funnest” job at Christ House. In planning events I was also exploring a city to which I was a newcomer, while learning about local history from patients. We attended professional sports games, concerts at the Kennedy Center, and a screening of the Bob Marley movie at the Regal Theater. But just as much of an adventure was a walk to the library or a trip down the street to teach one of the patients to shoot hoops. One of the most meaningful moments of these outings was simply seeing a patient smile who often seemed morose at Christ House.

Recently Rick, one of Christ House’s excellent case managers, described his office’s role to me as this: “We get to advocate for people who have no one else to speak up for them.” This responsibility extends to every person who comes to work at Christ House, where the various roles are challenging yet rewarding and those who do them are blessed to be a very small part of patients’ journeys towards flourishing. I’d encourage anyone who is thinking about getting involved with Christ House to start by volunteering your time to go in and play board games or cards, or to call bingo and listen to the good-natured teasing of the guys as they mark their cards. Take a seat next to one of the patients, ask questions, and be open; you’re sure to hear some amazing stories of perseverance and optimism along the way.