H By
s ’ e p o
n o n Ma
r o C
t n e r Lau
r e n
Services
A
s I drove up into the parking lot, I looked towards the Church with a big ‘Hope’s Corner’ banner across the top. It was barely 7 a.m., and already, under that banner stood just about 40 people
2
waiting in line. As I got closer, it did not seem as the people were standing in line at a soup kitchen, but simply reminiscent friends grabbing brunch together. Hope’s Corner is
not merely a soup kitchen, but a place where people are empowered. Feeding people who wouldn’t be able to be fed otherwise is only the beginning of the advantages of Hope’s Corner. A study taken from Millionaires Only? shows that “the median cost of rent for a o n e bedroom
apartm e n t in San Francisco is $3,590. A twob e d r o o m will put you out $4,870 a month. Meanwhile, minimum wage in the city of San Francisco is $12.25 an hour.” It is more impossible than ever to keep a sustainable lifestyle. At this point, people
ers states that “local politicians recognize that the county’s great wealth disparity is a problem and say they are trying to fix it. Altogether, the county is spending roughly $35
helping those who are barely making it and simply n e e d a free meal to m a k e t h e i r week. Regular Hope’s Corner volunteer, Kevin Thompson, proclaim during a personal interview, “I wish it was not necessary, but I’m glad that we can do it, and be
“I wish it was not necessary, but I’m glad that we can do it, and be here for them.” are having to make the unimaginable decision between keeping a roof over their heads or feeding themselves. Even though it seems as if nobody is addressing this problem, John Light from BillMoy-
million on new efforts to temporarily house and provide services to the homeless and efforts to develop permanent affordable housing.” With places such as Hope’s Corner, it not only helps people who are homeless, but it is
here for them.” Kevin had been going through an agonizing and traumatic loss within his family, and had been broken down by every little piece he could hold together. For weeks after
3
“We formed a bond of brotherhood.” his wife’s passing, he could not find himself doing anything other than staying in the house and letting time pass. After a year, he decided he had had enough. He joined a Just Faith class which is a faith formation program that emphasizes peace and justice. A few weeks into the class, one of their tasks was to sign up for volunteer work, and not thinking any deeper into it, Kevin signed up to join the newly formed ‘Hope’s Corner: Soup Kitchen’. The first time he volunteered was “not so bad, pretty
4
painless actually,” he states. Then, when he started volunteering more frequently, he started noticing some returning guests. Not only did Kevin recognize them, but they recognized him. He began to talk to some of these people; get to know them and their stories. Through Hope’s Corner, Kevin was able to meet a lot of new
people he would never have thought to be friends, or even acquaintances with. For example, he got to know a man called Andre, who is a regular guest at Hope’s Corner. Andre has had to overcome many difficulties within his lifetime, which has made it incredibly challenging for him to form stable relationships. A majority of his life has been taken over by being in and out of the prison system, unemployment, and homelessness. When he started to come to Hope’s Corner, it was simply to get food and get out. However, when he met Kev-
in, they instantly felt a connection. Because this environment was so undiscriminating,
two go golfing on a regular basis and occasionally play some one on one basketball
we do. So to provide for them is a blessing. It is my healing.” Hope’s Corner is still
“To provide for them is a blessing. It is my healing.” Kevin and Andre felt they were on the same social status. Kevin admits that he would not be able to see himself being friends with Andre if they were not associated through Hope’s Corner. However, since they did meet here, they have been able to “form a bond of brotherhood”, says Kevin. Andre was able to pick up the broken pieces and turn his life around with the help of Kevin and a couple of other Hope’s Corner volunteers. He is currently living in an apartment with cable TV which allows him to invite Kevin over to watch sports events and to hang out. The
in the park. Hope’s Corner has helped a number of people attending the soup kitchen get back on their feet with the outstanding support given by the volunteers working there. Yet, not only the guests attending Hope’s Corner are benefiting from this organization. Volunteer Elena Pacheco has been suffering from cancer for the last couple of years. When she was going through treatment, she did not stop volunteering, “I walked [to Hope’s Corner] because I couldn’t drive”, she goes on to say, “There are too many people that don’t have the luxuries that
in full force. All the volunteers have worked very hard for 4 years now in hopes to expand their business to be able to provide for more people in need of it. They are incredibley grateful for all the volunteers that come through each weekend, they are looking to publicize their organization even more and add even more volunteers. With primarily word of mouth, they are looking to expand their services so the they can raise awareness about the hidden homelessness issue within the Silicon Valley.
5
Works Cited Carmichael, Leslie. Personal Interview. April 25, 2016. Chin, Michelle. “Silicon Valley’s Wealth Gap.” The Nation. The Nation, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. Kaiy. Personal Interview. April 2, 2016. Kendall, Mikki. “Rampant Wealth Inequality in Silicon Valley Could Make San Francisco a Ghost Town.” Quartz. Millionaires Only?, 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. Lapowsky, Issie. “Silicon Valley’s Biggest Worry Should Be Inequality, Not a Bubble.” Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 4 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. Pacheco, Elena. Personal Interview. March 12, 2016. Risley, Jackie. Personal Interview. March 20, 2016. Smith, Jack, IV. “Silicon Valley Is Lying to You About Economic Inequality.” Mic. Tech.Mic, 06 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. Thompson, Kevin. Personal Interview. March 20, 2016. Thompson, Kevin. Personal Interview Follow Up. March 20, 2016.
6