I see face after face as I do service here in our community. Those faces have been evolving over the past fourteen years while The Giving Closet has been in existence. In the early years the sea of faces was an overwhelming presence on our free shopping floor. The needs in every face seemed bottomless! I soon discovered that I only needed to meet the need of the one standing in front of me to the best of my ability and then move onto the next. That knowledge quickly diffused the need and its unyielding demands. This discovery allowed me to uncover every face and find the voice that just needed to be heard. After recognizing and accepting the person behind the face, a powerful experience began to take place. These encounters changed all that I had been taught about poverty.
Changing the face of poverty is simply a step of re-education. Have you ever observed a small child at play? They only see another child they want to play with. The clarity of a small child’s actions is so easy. They do not see status, race, money, education, or job security. They just want an experience with another child. They see only with eyes of acceptance.
Take a look around you. Poverty has no prejudice. It accepts all. Our neighbors, co-workers, relatives, friends, foreigners, unforgotten ones and outsiders are all at risk. It is all around us. There are many issues that can threaten the support of a family in today’s economy. Life can turn on a dime, giving way to devastating health issues, job loss and family crisis.
Poverty has many faces and today I see them all. I am so grateful that I truly see every person that I am privileged to meet and serve at The Giving Closet.
Executive Director Denise Currie