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Rewarding Summer
South Oakland Shelter volunteer learns meaning
of homelessness through hands-on work.
Ilana Woronoff } jewish@edu writer
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At
SOS: volunteer coordinator Austin Kralisz, volunteer
Ilana Woronoff and Ryan Hertz, SOS executive director.
ast spring, I had no idea how
to answer the question, "What
are you doing this summer?"
All of my friends knew what they would
be doing; I just hoped I would be doing
something I would enjoy.
After "Googling" different volunteer
opportunities, a program called South
Oakland Shelter (SOS) — a weekly rotating
homeless shelter where individuals move to
congregations throughout Oakland County
— caught my eye.
My only experience with SOS was when
my dad and I would go to our synagogue,
Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills, to serve
dinner during its host week. Following a
phone call to learn more about SOS, I met
the volunteer coordinator and secured a
place for myself.
I was surprised at how much assistance
SOS offers its clients: clothing, showers,
laundry and a food pantry.
As a volunteer, I joined various com-
mittees, helped revamp computer classes,
created SOS campaign videos, helped
with database work, sorted donations
and assisted clients. Administrative tasks
allowed me to work with staff, while
other tasks allowed me to help clients.
Being a member of Adat Shalom, I
contacted Adat Shalom's Housing the
Homeless coordinators Evva Hepner and
Debbie Cohen to see how I could help
during our host week.
I was asked to gather volunteers to
help transport mattresses and bedding
from the previous host site to Adat
Shalom, and to assist in converting the
L
classrooms into bedrooms.
Throughout the week, as volunteers,
we registered clients, made breakfasts
and dinners, and bagged lunches each
night. Previously, I would have helped
just one night, but this year I was helping
all the time.
Shmoozing and playing games with the
kids was my favorite part of the week.
This SOS experience has changed my per-
ception on homelessness.
Last April, I thought of the homeless
as lazy, poor and uneducated, but now I
have learned that many homeless indi-
viduals have jobs, graduated from high
school — many even from college — and
are people just like you or me, but have
fallen on hard times.
But, unfortunately, even for the indi-
viduals lucky enough to benefit from SOS'
amenities, it's sometimes not enough.
SOS has made me take a step back to
reflect on my life. Every night I am fortu-
nate to come home to my own bedroom,
a closet of clothes and my own bed.
A majority of the mattresses I helped
transport are in awful condition, most
held together by duct tape. If you would
like to help SOS meet its goal of raising
$12,000 to purchase 45 extra-long twin
mattresses and bedding, contact SOS at
(248) 809-3773 or visit www.
southoaklandshelter.org . @
liana Woronoff of West Bloomfield is a
sophomore at Michigan State University
in East Lansing.