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We loaded the car and headed down to New York City at around 6 p.m. Not only was the entire trunk filled from floor to ceiling with food, but there were bags of it between, under and on the seats. 

We were about to experience a Midnight Run. 

Midnight Run is a volunteer organization that feeds and clothes the homeless in the middle of the night. March 21 was our night to give food, clothing and toiletry kits to those who have none. Members of the youth ministry programs from Sacred Heart Church in Castleton and St. Mary's in Clinton Heights participated - learning valuable lessons and gaining perspectives we will never forget. 

The most important lesson I learned from this experience is that I have no reason to be unhappy. I have food, clothes and shelter on a regular basis. The homeless, on the other hand, must rely on the goodwill of others for their basic needs. 

Based on that, one could imagine that these people are self-pitying and bitter toward the world. They are the exact opposite: They are happy for all that they have, as little as it may be, and they have not given up on their own lives. 

One man asked for a plain white undershirt and explained that he wears them under suits when he goes on job interviews. Another said that, after nine years of living in a shelter, he had finally found an apartment he can afford. 

Many of these people do not accept what has happened to them, but instead try to improve their lives. Seeing that these people are simply happy to be alive and survive day after day made me realize that the things which make me stressed and miserable are nothing compared to all the worries the homeless face.

I know for sure that, if given the chance, I would do the Midnight Run again. I am an able person. I have more than a lot of people in the world, and therefore I am able to give more to those who have little to nothing. 

After feeding and clothing the homeless and seeing their reaction, it has become evident that I am obligated to help those who need it. Some people struggle their whole lives with problems they cannot control. These conflicts grow and grow until eventually a person becomes helpless. 

It is my job, along with all other able-bodied people, to give the helpless some hope. 

From this experience, I have learned that the last thing one should do is to judge another person. The fact is that we do not know these homeless people. We do not know how they became that way, how they survive every day, or if their lives will ever change for the better. 

What we do know is that they are people, just like the rest of us, and that they deserve the same amount of respect. Like the rest of us, the homeless are trying to survive another day. The difference is that they have to try a little harder.

(Michaela attends Sacred Heart parish in Castleton.)[[In-content Ad]]

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