THE IMPACT OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

As we walked through downtown, we saw Karen. We had met her a few times beforehand and talked together. She usually tells us a little about her life, but today she seemed hesitant. When we greeted her that day, she made a particularly sad impression on us. We asked her if she was burdened with something special today. She answered that today is her birthday. Karen told us with sad eyes how disappointed and lonely she feels, because nobody celebrates her birthday or sings for her. We took our time listening to her and tried our best to comfort her during the time spent together.

After saying goodbye to her, we decided to buy her pink flowers and delicious ice cream to celebrate her birthday. We went back to her place and sang the Happy Birthday song as passionately as we could. She looked out of her tent and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was so surprised and gave us a soft and warm smile while thanking us from the bottom of her heart. Since that event, we always encouraged her to take steps. Since then, she has signed up for the housing list.