Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Twelve bears spent their fifth day in Asheville, North Carolina. The day commenced as every other day since we arrived, with multiple – and tremendously necessary – teacups filled with coffee and too much hazelnut creamer. Around the folding table seated in a mismatched chair at my temporary home in the Hominy Baptist Church basement, I didn’t realize the impact that the day would have on me.
Our time was spent at the Haywood Street Respite housed at the Haywood Street Congregation. Laura Kirby, Executive Director of the Haywood Street Congregation, defines the Respite as a short-term home for individuals who are homeless recovering from “surgery or acute illness […] who are too ill or frail to recover on the streets.” Those with sickness are given a place to stay, three meals a day, as well as a comfortable, homey location to heal for up to two weeks. Rooms are furnished as apartments, and the individuals are treated as family. Family, togetherness, and community are the ongoing themes; primarily and outwardly shown in all things done by the Haywood Street Congregation.
The Haywood Street Respite isn’t the only service that the Congregation provides. The Downtown Welcome Table acknowledges the importance of true, familial-like connections through meals and the significance of recognizing a diverse community. Through the Welcome Table, lunch is served every Monday and dinner is served every Sunday; all free. These meals were different than any other soup kitchen or homeless shelter that I have ever encountered. Please let me paint a picture, but know that it won’t even shed a fraction of light upon the love and community that I felt while there.
A fellowship hall type room is filled with circle tables and friendship. Table cloths are used, place settings are set, water and iced tea sit in abundance in pitchers, napkins are folded, and flowers float happily in vases. Even before seats are taken, warm biscuits are placed on the tables accompanied by honey butter. Slowly but surely, people begin trickling in. Individuals who are homeless or temporarily displaced comingle with people from the community. The only goal: to join in love with others and connect through conversation and appreciation for food.
Before these simple but impactful meals, guests and companions converse in a separate room. Depending on the week, individuals can get a free haircut, participate in therapeutic art, or even get their picture taken – which will be developed and printed out for them to keep for themselves or send to family.
I had the privilege of talking to a couple from the Asheville area, and was surprised with the vulnerability and transparency our conversation had. I won’t go into detail in respect for their stories, but I felt so much admiration for their honesty. This was the first time I had spoken to them, and found myself feeling unworthy for the trust they placed in me that was housed in their stories.
I talked to many other people, and found something common between us all. We all have family, or in many cases, people who aren’t blood-related who feel like family. I found that that was an easy topic to converse upon. It’s where a lot of people’s passion lies. It’s where a lot of people’s pain lies. It’s a common thing that can be praised or cursed; depending on one’s situation.
I found something common between family and the Haywood Street Congregation as well. Families cannot exist without relationships, nor can the Haywood Street Congregation. Relationships are what push us, what give us importance, and show us what love is.
As I sit, back at the basement of the Hominy Baptist Church, back at the folding table where I drank my coffee this morning with too much creamer, I reflect. This is my temporary home for the week, the Haywood Street Respite is the temporary home for those recovering from illness, but the Haywood Street Congregation is a continuous home for that community of Asheville that provides consistent love to anyone who enters.
– Katie Griffiths