Heart for Humanity - Walk the Walk Reflection
by Andrea Gerhard, HICF Director of Scholarships & Grants
How often do you step out of your own life experience to help understand the story of someone whose life may be significantly different than yours?
It’s easy to be caught up in the things of life, swept up in daily routines and responsibilities without a thought of what might be happening in the life of another or the community around you. We can quickly become immersed in our own challenges or contentment, becoming blind to or unaware of those in need around us and the organizations that meet the needs.
Sadly, many individuals and families in our community are unaware of the work done by local nonprofit organizations who can provide assistance – until their situation changes and suddenly they find themselves or a family member needing help. Fortunately, an entire network of nonprofit partners in our community works together around the clock to support those in need in our area.
In November, members of our Heart of Illinois Community Foundation (HICF) team, along with participants representing area organizations, churches and government were met by the Homeward Bound staff of nonprofit Dove, Inc. Our group met at the Decatur Civic Center to begin a guided three-mile walk, following the path a homeless individual might use to reach available community services, from one nonprofit organization to the next. This Walk the Walk event concluded the activities of Dove’s National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week and led participants on a firsthand tour of Decatur nonprofits. We learned that the walk could have been more than three miles depending on the services sought and turns along the path.
As our group left the Civic Center and headed north on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the cold and windy day did not go unnoticed. Participants buttoned and zipped up, donned gloves, and covered faces and noses beneath neck scarves. Walking into the wind was challenging. For some, the thoughts hit immediately: “What if I didn’t have this coat and gloves and hat? What if I didn’t have layers of clothing? What if I had to live and sleep out in this weather? Who can help me and how would I survive?”
Despite the gray skies and cold winds, we continued walking, just as any individual or family needing services. We first stopped at Northeast Community Fund, a community staple formed in 1969. It now provides a full food pantry where clients shop, a free clothing room, and numerous programs that assist with homelessness, medications, and hygiene needs. Northeast also can offer utility, rent and other monetary assistance as they aim to serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration, uplifting and transforming lives. We then noted our first possible redirect from the main walk – if you needed services from the Macon County Health Department, it would be at least another mile walk from Northeast. Instead, we continued around the corner and down Condit Street to Crossings Health Care & Recovery Services. There, individuals can connect with a walk-in clinic, behavioral health and nutrition & wellness services, outpatient treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, and more. Individuals also can visit the onsite Empowerment Opportunity Center, offering transitional housing, emergency housing, job training, employment support, a pantry for personal essentials, and more. Baby TALK is also located within the complex, providing services for children from birth to age 3 and their parent(s). I wondered, “How many times have people driven down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive or Highway 51 heading north, going past all these buildings, without giving a moment of thought to what they are, how they are serving others in that facility and who are utilizing the services?”
The cold continued, but we walked on. Next was The Good Samaritan Inn while we also learned about Water Street Mission and IDHS (Illinois Department of Human Services). We then walked to God’s Shelter of Love main facility and also learned about their separate Careage House. Both offer emergency care to homeless women and children. Next stop was the Oasis Day Center where we noted the distance from there to Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy. As we walked down North Church Street, we also observed the locations and services of United Way, Heritage Behavioral Health Services and Catholic Charities.
We then walked toward the Salvation Army, also noting the location of the Dove, Inc. main facility, and then went east along Wood Street to South Franklin Street. Our guides pointed out the Macon County Building and Court House, the Decatur Public Library, Decatur Public Transit, and noted all the services and coordination efforts of Dove’s Homeward Bound program. As we arrived back at the Decatur Civic Center, we felt a deep gratitude that we live in a community where we have nonprofit organizations like these, all ready to serve and to partner together to maximize their impact. At the same time, we wondered about the life stories of those who must make these walks because they need these services.
During our walk, our group had collected supplies to fill backpacks with hygiene items, socks, gloves, thermal blankets and food items. The supplies we collected will help Dove’s Homeward Bound team continue their important outreach to homeless in the community
Our Walk the Walk journey was eye-opening. It was a reminder of the importance of getting outside our own experiences and connecting with the life stories of others. Within this community, there are many opportunities to get outside your own experience. You can gain a much greater understanding by supporting and serving these incredible organizations. At HICF, we celebrate those in our community who invest in these groups to keep them strong. We are grateful to be witnesses to the level of giving shown in Central Illinois and thankful to the Dove team for their leadership and for calling our group in to the experience of those often unseen in our community.
As author Brené Brown shared in her book, Atlas of the Heart*, it’s not enough to “walk in someone else’s shoes” but to go beyond, seeking more understanding and insight into the life experiences of others – getting to the heart of humanity.
If you’d like to learn more about these organizations, how to get connected, or how to provide support through a Donor-Advised Fund or another method, please reach out to HICF at 217.429.3000.
* “We need to dispel the myth that empathy is ‘walking in someone else’s shoes.’ Rather than walking in your shoes, I need to learn how to listen to the story you tell about what it’s like in your shoes and believe you even when it doesn’t match my experiences.”
Reference: Brené Brown, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, 2021
