Hi everyone!
For this blog I thought I'd change it up a little bit and write about my experiences working in the community here in Adelaide. Ever since arriving here I've loved this city and a few months ago I really felt like it was time to serve others and help make this a better place to live.
I've been involved with several volunteer opportunities, but the one that I'm probably the proudest about is the Edge Assist Street Care. We're out every Friday night here on Hindley street (which can be a bit of a sketchy street at times) between midnight and 3 AM. Some people that I talk to think I'm insane for being out at that time of night on that street but for me, it's really a lot of fun.
Basically, we all meet at Edge Church on Hindley at about 11:45 p.m. and begin making coffee, tea, hot chocolate, toasted sandwiches (or as the aussies call them, "sandies" or "toasties") as well as organizing brownies and lollipops. Once that's all done, some of the team will stay back at the Church to keep making food including one male always there for safety, while the rest of us go out in teams onto the street with all of our food! We offer the food to anyone we see on the streets including bouncers, taxi drivers, people out on the town for the night, homeless people, buskers and pretty much anyone else who may be living or working on the streets.
People absolutely love us out there (I average about 10 hugs a night from random strangers) and we only get a few negative comments each night. We also stay safe by staying in teams of at least 3 with at least one male a part of every team. The bouncers really like us as well, so that helps us feel safe because we know there's an added element of protection. The only thing that we really need to be careful about is engaging in deep conversations with people (it's amazing how people open up to us) who have been hurt in the past and who may be heavily intoxicated. The conversation can be going quite smoothly but they can escalate very quickly if you're discussing a deep hurt in their lives, leading to them making snap judgements and they get angry very fast.
I love being a part of the program. It's really the highlight of my week, because I get to meet so many interesting people. It also helps that when people hear my accent. They have a lot of questions and want to talk pretty quickly. I have a lot of pride in what we do and I love being a part of the team. The only time it gets a bit tough is when it's cold and rainy out. It's winter here now, so sometimes we have temperatures around 2 degrees celsius. It can be rainy in winter here, so it's a bit chilly sometimes! Kind of reminds of home a bit though haha!
Here's a video clip that was prepared about what we do in the city. I really hope that you enjoy it!
I'm also about to begin a new volunteer job with the Childhood Cancer Association of South Australia and I'm really excited about the opportunity. I'll be sure to write about that in a later blog!
Stay safe and stay well!