Adventure Man: All the difference in the World -- By Jadrian Klinger

Posted @ Jan. 05 2012 06:23AM by Timmy - in-print

The quietest time of night, just before dawn, when that unmistakable stillness of morning twilight struggles against the anticipation of sunrise vanishing away the dark, I stepped outside into a frost-covered parking lot a block off Cameron Street in the shadow of Allison Hill. The sapping chill of December in Harrisburg immediately made me appreciate the warmth of the Overnight Winter Shelter at Susquehanna Harbor Safe Haven. Inside, seven men, who had found the simple respite of a night’s sleep indoors, breathed the steady breaths of slumber. It was then, out in the cold with the buildings downtown standing tall in the distance, that the words of fellow volunteer Tracee Olver really made an impact. Earlier that evening, she told me about how these seven men would walk all the way downtown to find a warm meal and a place to endure the cold until they could return to the shelter at night. This was their daily existence, just trying to survive another day. Some suffered from mental illness, others had made mistakes in life or life dealt them a cruel hand, and there were even those who had jobs but did not make enough for a deposit on a place to call their own. At that moment, out in the cold and the dark, with a mild case of sleep deprivation, I fully understood what volunteering truly meant to others and how even just a small act of human kindness – like giving someone a place to rest their head for the night – can make all the difference in the world.

Twenty-one hours prior, I had set out on a 24-hour, nonstop immersion into the realm of volunteerism that spanned eight different opportunities to give back and more than 30 total hours, since I stopped the clock while traveling between locations. Sure, it was a stunt – something interesting to experience for the column. But it was also an opportunity to highlight organizations fueled by kindness and meet the real volunteers who make selflessness look easy.

9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. – 2.25 hours
The Central PA Food Bank
For the organization that distributes more than 20 million pounds of food and grocery products every year to more than 600 soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries in 27 central Pennsylvania counties, which directly feeds thousands of hungry families, I helped just a little. I hefted a few boxes and carried a couple crates of produce, but mostly I witnessed the dedication of the many volunteers as they expertly loaded a box truck and a converted school with thousands of pounds of food. Once filled, the two vehicles traveled to the corner of Mulberry and Hummel Streets in Harrisburg, where a crowd waited in the cold to receive a gift of food to feed themselves and their families. For some, this would be their only source of sustenance. The smiles of those receiving the food were just as wide as those volunteering their time and energy to hand it out.

One such volunteer, Andy Miner, shared his feelings on what he got out of helping out at the Central PA Food Bank every Tuesday and Friday for the past three and a half years. “The satisfaction I get is dealing with the clients and the pantry supervisors we give the food to,” said the 64-year-old Gettysburg resident. “Sometimes when we pull up with the truck, there are 40 or 50 people standing in line waiting to get the food we are delivering. And that is satisfying to know that we are the source of supply to them. There’s just tremendous satisfaction that comes out of that.”

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – 1 hour
Bethesda Mission
Volunteer Frank McManus, 73, scooped the rice while I ladled the chili as we both helped serve lunch to roughly 30 men who were part of The Helmsman Program, which helps restore lives destroyed by alcohol and drug addiction. The gratitude for something as simple as a hot meal was palpable in the small cafeteria as the men ate and then came up for seconds. Not everyone smiled, but they all thanked Frank and I. And in those tiny verbal utterances of appreciation came the realization that, even though we did not make the food or donate it or provide the shelter in which to eat it, something as insignificant as spooning out some rice and chili can represent an uncommon kindness for those who sorely need it.

“You find out what some people have gone through, and you get to find out what they’re all about,” Frank explained. “I can’t comprehend drug addiction and everything that they’ve gone through, but to see them now, it’s inspiring...Volunteering is just something you need to do because there’s not enough. And once you do it, you get a great feeling about helping someone else for a change. I worked all my life, and I have a really good life. Now I want to help someone else if I can, just by being here and talking to them.”

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – 2 hours
Humane Society of Harrisburg Area
For the first hour, I spent time in the adult cat room with dozens of caged felines wanting nothing more than a little love and affection. I made my way around the room, from cage to cage, opening the doors to pet and/or hold as many cats as I could. With each cage door I closed, thereby ending their small moment of attention, my heart broke a little more. As I locked the clasp of their metal homes, they each looked up at me with eyes that begged for just a few more moments of interaction. If any reader out there ever considered adopting a cat from the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, or any other similar organization, a little time with these cats will certainly convince you to take one or two or three home. And the same goes for the dogs.

For the second hour, I partook in an activity only the most dedicated Humane Society volunteers will do: washing the unending stacks of food and water bowls. Not the cleanest and certainly not the most glamorous task, but vital nonetheless. And I was happy to take on any chore that helped provide a place for so many innocent creatures that each deserve a loving home.

3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – 4 hours
Salvation Army Kettle Bell Ringing
In front of the Karns Quality Foods in Lemoyne, I wore a red apron and rang a tiny bell. After the first hour, I lost count of the number of people who took the time to drop a monetary donation in the red kettle hanging beside me. Some gave their pocket change, others slid ones, five and 10s through the kettle’s slot.

Like everyone else, I had seen these kettles and the accompanying bell ringers countless times around the holiday season. But I never imagined how many individuals actually give, many without a word – as if they do it every day and it’s no big deal. It was inspiring to witness passersby compelled to give so easily and readily by the mere sight of a red kettle and the sound of a bell. It says much about what these symbols represent, which is an organization that provides 11 different charitable programs in the capital region. As Community Outreach & Events Coordinator for the Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region Rebecca Kleha pointed out to me just before I assumed kettle duty, “For every dollar donated, 89 cents goes to the programs in the capital region community.”

7:45 p.m. to 7 a.m. – 11.25 hours
Overnight Winter Shelter Run by the Downtown Shelters at Susquehanna Harbor Safe Haven Shelter
By the time I made it to the Overnight Winter Shelter on 12th Street, the sun had set and the temperatures had dropped. Two of the seven homeless men were already waiting outside for the doors to open at 8 p.m. Inside, seven-year volunteering veteran of the shelter Dale Laninga along with Michael Mercado, a volunteer with Christian Services United who helped with the intake, were already there. Tracee Olver, who volunteered overnight with me, came in right behind me.

From 8 p.m. until 10 p.m., the doors were open for any man seeking a warm place to rest their head for the night. By 7 a.m., they had to be up and out. Seven days a week, from December through March, the shelter remains open.Our tasks as volunteers were few and easy: brewing some coffee and laying out the mattresses and blankets. And then, in the morning, putting away everything and sweeping up. Not much to it really. The most important role for us was to simply be there in case the men needed something. While it wasn’t necessary, I remained awake throughout the night to keep my 24-hour volunteering goal intact.
To see the wearied relief in the eyes of the seven men as they laid down for the night provided a heart-wrenching glimpse into the reality of homelessness. These men had nowhere else to go, and if it weren’t for shelters like this one, they’d be out in the cold sleeping on the street. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how fortunate so many of us are, but the experience at the shelter really opened my eyes.

7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. – 1 hour
Buying Toys at Toy Store
With a quick breakfast downed with an energy drink, I made my way to the closest big-box toy store, which boasted holiday hours beginning at 6 a.m. I was in search of toys to donate to Toys for Tots.
After wandering through the long aisles packed with every toy and game imaginable, I settled on a chemistry/science set, a fierce-looking tyrannosaurus rex and a Little Miss Muffin doll. There was something for any kid – the budding scientist, the dinosaur enthusiast and the child who loves muffin/doll hybrids.

8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. – 1.5 hours
Picking Up Trash at Riverfront Park
To my surprise and delight, Riverfront Park was pretty clean overall. There were a few bits of refuse here and there to pick up, which I did, but I barely filled one of the entire box of trash bags I brought.
By this point, the energy drink was wearing off and the lack of sleep was catching up with me. The cool wind of the brisk December morning kept me upright, but I was fading fast. I had one more stop, and then I was finished.

10:15 a.m. to 10:26 a.m. – 11 minutes
Delivering Purchased Toys to Toys for Tots
Positioned at the back of an empty semi-truck trailer were a group of in-uniform Marines and Boy Scout volunteers prepared to fill the space with donated toys. I couldn’t help but smile as my bag of science, dinosaur and Little Miss Muffin was whisked away into the trailer, only to be followed by a large pull cart from another donator filled with all sorts of toys for needy children in the area. For countless kids out there, each one of those toys represented a smile and a little joy for them.

Those who did the math already know that my hour total fell a bit short of the 24-hour goal. The official tally came to 23 hours, 11 minutes and 1 second of continuous volunteering. I missed the mark by 48 minutes and 59 seconds, which is a triumph in my mind because I had fully expected to fall asleep around midnight at the Overnight Winter Shelter. By the end, I was sleep deprived and bordering on a little grumpy, but I felt good about all I had seen and experienced. To be able to meet the selfless volunteers who give their time freely, without a thought of recognition or repayment, will be something I won’t soon forget. And I will be forever grateful for the lesson in the power of human kindness, which truly makes all the difference in the world. For more information on these great organizations or to do a little volunteering of your own, visit centralpafoodbank.org, bethesdamission.org, humanesocietyhbg.org, salvationarmyharrisburg.org, ccuhbg.org and toysfortots.org.