Spirit Of Giving- Jeremy Loveday Poem by Michellina Cookington

On the bus ride home from work, I overheard an otherwise seemingly gentle man say, "Its their fault" "It's their fault. It's their fault they're homeless." I said nothing. Because I felt I had no context. But if I heard this again I would speak up, tell them of my friend Jordan. Jordan's got a tough but thorough smile. Street smarts and a great sense of style. Jordan's a gardener. A painter. Damn well the kindest guy you'll ever meet. He's also been known to sleep on the street. It's not just that Jordan's fallen through the cracks. Its that a man of his energy is prone of making new ones. I think that's how he got so filled with light. And tonight we're here to celebrate the spirit of giving, of living up to our common potential. To recognize and acknowledge that our actions are consequential. And that Jordan's story is just one of ours. Each a chapter that could've been written differently. A couple mistakes, a few heartbreaks. Some bad health or bad luck and it could be us that needs a helping hand to help us get back up. Some support. Or maybe a little push to get our wheels unstuck. And I've known children faced with choices that even grown ups shouldn't have to make. Problems that carve away at their wild imaginations as they're forced to face another day of questions like "where do we sleep" or "what can we eat" instead of "what games should we play" and it takes a community to raise a child. And it takes caring to create a community. But it's amazing what we can do when we come together and act out of unity. So this is for the hard-working single mother holding a bake sale fundraiser. For the 50/50 sellers in the church basement. For the canvas seller hitting up their families one more time. And for the employers driven by more than just the bottom line. This is for the unions helping their workers to give back. This is for all of you to see that when we collectively act we can make a bigger difference. And that the tapestry of our togetherness is sewn with single individual acts of kindness. And that what is behind us is behind us and that change starts here inside of us. So this is for Jordan, who now has a subsidized apartment and the healthcare he needs. So that he can be the best Jordan he can be. And for the children who now have mentors and special education and a safe place to sleep. A safe place to dream. And for all of you, that know that the gap between poverty and possibility is spanned by empathy, the bridge built by individual acts of kindness and giving. So tonight we are here to celebrate crossing that bridge together so that we can stand on the other side. United.