Today marked my final day with Volunteer Odyssey and the culmination of a week of moments I will never forget.

On this final day, I spent my evening at the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality. The Dorothy Day House provides shelter for families who have lost their homes. This is different than other shelters in Memphis, which separate men and women.

Like many other places in Memphis, the Dorothy Day House provides shelter for people who have lost their homes, but Dorothy Day is different from these other places in one key way: at the Dorothy Day House families are allowed to stay together. In addition to providing families with a place to live, Dorothy Day also provides its residents with resources in finding homes and jobs.

Every week, the shelter hosts “Sundays at Six” where volunteers, families, and staff gather in fellowship with each other. There is a prayer followed by dessert. I arrived before the event started to get a tour and speak with Sister Maureen who works at the shelter.

Once the tour was finished, there was some free time before Sunday at Six started. I had a chance to meet with a young woman and her family who have been living at Dorothy Day for about six weeks.

She and her family have found a home and will be moving soon. She was so happy and proud. Her and her family were getting back on her feet. That’s when the mission of the shelter hit home. It’s all about families getting the support and resources they need to remain together in even the most difficult of times. Dorothy Day provides food, clothing, and shelter to homeless families as they transition to find homes and jobs to provide for their families.

After speaking with the family, it was time for the event to start. We all said what we were thankful for and prayed for things we needed. What I noticed was that we were thankful for the same things. Everyone had different circumstances, but was grateful for family, health, and Dorothy Day.

After we said our prayers and thanks, it was time to have dessert. While everyone was eating, I took the time to look at at all the pictures in the dining room. So far, 27 families have come through the shelter. There are framed pictures on the wall in the dining room of all the families. Their picture is placed on the wall after they have left the shelter. Each family’s stay at Dorothy Day House is different, so the duration of their stays varied. The pictures are a tribute to the dedication of families and volunteers at Dorothy Day.

I had a good evening visiting Dorothy Day. Sister Maureen is a wonderful woman. I wish the families living at the Dorothy Day house the best of luck. I am sad that today was my final day with Volunteer Odyssey. Perhaps it was fitting that my final time was spent in a place focused on empowering its residents. My life’s journey has been changed through Volunteer Odyssey, and I now understand that I have the strength to make a positive impact not only in my own life, but also in the lives of those around me.

Thank you for reading! I’m searching for a job opportunity where I can apply my PR and Marketing knowledge at a nonprofit organization. I am also interested in development, event planning, and fund raising. If you know of a great fit, please send it our way: jobleads@volunteerodyssey.com

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