I arrived at The Dwelling Place not knowing what to expect. As I rang the bell, I felt both anxious and excited as to what I might find.
Barbara answered the door and I was immediately greeted by the smell of cooking pork chops wafting through the air. It is a few days before Halloween and the shelter is having a Halloween celebration for the women. Barbara shows me where to hang my coat and tells me that Sister Margaret is upstairs with some of the women – she will be down shortly.
I am escorted upstairs to the second floor dining area. Barbara goes into the kitchen and tells me to sit down and wait for Sister Margaret. The tables are all set with blue, white and yellow placemats. There are potted flowers on each of the tables. Soon the bell is ringing. Up the stairs enter what I believe are volunteers for the evening. Meanwhile, I meet Carmela – a staff member of the shelter who is busy putting plastic containers of milk on each of the tables. I then meet Cheryl and Herman who have come up the stairs. Cheryl tells Barbara that she has brought ice cream for the women and hurriedly goes to fetch it. There is another ring at the door – I later find out it is Jimmy, the entertainment for the evening. I am busy taking notes on all the happenings going on. I look up to see Cheryl placing small plastic bags by each of the placemats. When she is done. I move over to one of the settings to inspect the bags. There are travel size toilitries for the women – small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, mositurizer and a bar of soap. By this time, Barbara has asked me to move, it is almost 5:30 – dinnertime and they are about to serve the food. I go outside to a corner chair by a window. Already sitting there is a woman with long dark hair, a red sweatshirt and jeans. I sit down and introduce myself. Her name is “Carmen,” she looks like she is in her early 40’s.
I think to myself how to talk to her. I am still busy writing in my notebook – she looks at me taking notes. Suddenly she stands up and says to me that she is going upstairs – dinner won’t be ready until 5:30pm. I have missed an opportunity to engage one of the women. I sit alone, staring outside the window at the trail of NJ Buses going up a ramp into the highway headed to Jersey. The bell rings again and I look down to find a cluster of women waiting outside to be let in. By this time, Jimmy has finished setting up his electric keyboard and speakers in the dining room and is testing the microphone.
Dinner has been served and Barbara has gone down to let the women in. Sister Margaret has come down from the third floor and greets me. She sits down, I give her my letter and proposal. She reads it and smiles. Soon she takes my hand in hers and ushers me into the kitchen to announce that I am the newest volunteer and I meet Sister Nancy, the other Franciscan nun who runs the shelter.
Jimmy has started to sing “I just called to say I love you.” Soon there is dancing, cheering and clapping. It is a joyful atmosphere. For one evening at least, these women are enjoying themselves.
