Let’s see one another and the value of each person, no matter where they’re at in life.
by Heidi Loeb
One of the first things you learn as a board member at Northern Nevada HOPES (HOPES) is the importance of making all people feel seen, including our houseless neighbors. We learn when walking by, or driving by our houseless neighbors to make eye contact, to smile, acknowledge our shared humanity. We learn that dismissively walking by or avoiding contact comes from our own discomfort, our own sense of judgement and that making all people feel seen, may be a first step for someone experiencing homelessness to feel value in themselves and potentially motivation to seek help and support.
The reason we learn this as a member of HOPES’ board of directors is through the lived experience of HOPES’ CEO, Sharon Chamberlain. Years ago, when Sharon was a teenager, she experienced loss and turned to substances to numb her pain. She ended up homeless, living on the streets, isolated, scared, watching people pass her by as if she didn’t exist as if she wasn’t a human being.
One day, a woman approached Sharon and made her feel seen for the first time in years. This simple act of kindness, of shared humanity was the push Sharon needed to seek help and get off the streets and off of substances. The journey was difficult, but Sharon made her way through detox, into a job, then a family and now as the CEO of HOPES, for over a decade, an organization providing primary care, mental health care, substance use treatment and comprehensive services to thousands of northern Nevadans, including many individuals experiencing homelessness.
Sharon’s experience and the act of kindness showed to her by a stranger has had ripple effects here in northern Nevada, creating a community of folks from all walks of life, engaging with one another through a simple smile, through eye contact, through seeing one another and the value of each person, no matter where they’re at in life.
I had the honor to accompany the Change Point team for a syringe exchange session. Approximately 60 people accessed services during the two-hour shift; the majority were men between 21-55, and 80% said they were experiencing homelessness. Each person was respectful toward HOPES staff. The ride along experience was eye-opening, and at different points, brought tears to my eyes.
This simple concept is something we can all do, each time we see someone struggling, someone the world has forgotten; look at them, smile, create a couple of seconds of connection and see how these small acts of kindness can reshape an individual’s life and ultimately reshape the trajectory of the homeless crisis in our community, one connection at a time.
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