Why I Brought myYoung Sons toVolunteer at a Homeless Shelter

I’m still not sure if it was the safest idea to bring my 5 and 7 year olds to volunteer at the homeless shelter every second week.

I had done my due diligence prior to making the commitment to have myself and my two young sons serve dinner at the homeless shelter every second Wednesday. Previous discussions with the shelter’s supervisor reaffirmed that it was completely safe for my children to take part. He went over the safety procedures they had in place such as:

No client (displaced person) were allowed to speak in vulgar terms.

No client was allowed to touch the children.

Shelter employees were placed throughout the meal hall as security.

My decision to begin volunteering with my two sons were three-fold:

1. I wanted my children exposed to the reality of our society. To understand the myriad of faces of the different experiences that brought each individual into the shelter.
2. To show them the impact of what drugs can do to them and have them take it seriously (obviously note that I by no means eluded to homeless = drug addict as it absolutely not the case).
3. Humanity.