I Spent my Birthday Asking for Money on the Streets of Chicago

It is very true, I spent the better part of my 19th birthday asking for money on the streets of downtown Chicago. Let me be perfectly clear, this is not how I normally spend my birthdays, nor was the experience within my comfort zone, but it was certainly one to remember!

We have been doing various service projects for the last few days, and today we helped out a fledgling organization called Helping Children of Abuse. They just started this summer, and are trying to raise enough funds to begin programs for children that would promote self esteem and stop the cycle of abuse. In order to raise this money they have been using volunteers to stand on Chicago streets and ask passersby for money. So we got all dolled up in our orange vests, grabbed our giant yellow galoshes, and headed downtown. My "post," so to speak, was a street near the entrance to the metro station. We were there right during rush hour when everyone is flocking from their workplaces back home to the suburbs. The stream of people was constant. I was extremely nervous, but it actually turned out better than I anticipated. Many people stopped to drop money or change into my boot, and some asked about the organization I represented. (Which was slightly unfortunate considering I didn't know very much about it.) I passed the time humming hymns to myself and studying the people who passed me. Most were determined to avoid my eye, but those who did look me in the face I gave a big smile and a hello to, whether or not they donated money. I noticed that most of those who did donate were middle aged men in nice clothes, although I was very touched by the homeless man who dropped in a quarter and the woman who muttered a heartfelt "God bless you" as she passed.

About an hour and a half of standing on the sidewalk, a homeless man took up his post directly on the other side of the traffic from me. He was shouting strange things and jiggling his money cup loudly. I believe he was drunk, which made me slightly nervous, considering I was a white girl standing alone on a sidewalk holding a bootfull of money. So I tried as hard as I could to walk casually toward the other corner where other RAD members were collecting money. Thankfully he did not follow, but I was reminded of just how many people are homeless and what a hard situation it is to be in. Over all it was a very humbling experience to stand on the streets and experience the feeling of asking others for help, although I am one of the lucky ones because I knew that no matter how much I earned I would still have food to eat and a bed to sleep in when it was all said and done.