Welcome to Giving Back Insights, show #100!
Welcome to the 100th episode of Giving Back Insights! Insights is our solo show to celebrate how our guests and their charities serve others, explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and connect.
Today we’re talking about Miracle Messages in San Francisco – amazing work, amazing people! Enjoy today’s episode and keep your comments and feedback coming.
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To start off, thank you for being with me on Insights. We always have great guests on our Monday shows, people who are doing amazing things for people in their communities. The Giving Back Insights episodes are a way to share what I’m learning along the way in the hope of continuing the conversation about how you and I can make a difference in people’s lives. Sometimes the Insights shows veer toward my own journey of creating a life of purpose and meaning, and I appreciate you hanging with me and the terrific comments I’ve received. Much mahalo to everyone.
The impact of an emergency or terrible circumstances is always felt most deeply when it’s close to home. When it’s personal, it’s our own story. It’s also when we’re most likely to jump in and get busy ourselves, whether it’s donating, volunteering, or participating in some way that will help solve the problem.
On Thursday I joined Kevin Adler and some members of the Miracle Messages crew on a Street Walk through San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. It’s a weekly event to hand out food, engage in conversations, and help people reconnect with their loved ones. That happy fella on today’s cover is Brian, and his t shirt is the slogan of Miracle Messages: Everyone is someone’s somebody.
#StreetWalks @MiracleMessages
The Tenderloin is a rough area; there are lots of homeless people, lots of drug use, and lots of mental health issues. It is also, as Kevin reminded us, one of MANY neighborhoods across the US struggling with homelessness. Over 536,000 people in America went to sleep that night without a shelter. The challenge is to move beyond the number and the stereotypes and to remember that each of our unsheltered neighbors is a mother, father, son, daughter, niece, nephew, uncle and aunt. That’s what makes an issue, a problem, a cause — important to us personally and keeps us engaged.
All of us came to Street Walk on Thursday to remember that “they” are us. Each of us came in from different backgrounds and for different reasons to serve where those in need are at. Some of us were challenged by the harsh reality of life on the streets, some us challenged in our beliefs. All of us came with the conviction that everyone is someone’s somebody.
Brian and Kevin did a fine job keeping us all safe, helped as much by people on the street who know them and Miracle Messages’ mission as their own presence and direction. We passed out food, engaged in conversations, played some music, and recorded videos for a couple of people who want to reconnect with their loved ones. Imagine being apart from family for 10, 20, even 30 years. Miracle Messages has fostered 150+ reconnections and are going strong with over 80% positive reunions.
Listening to each of the night’s crew talk about their experience at our debrief after our walk, I felt a deep gratitude for what I have in my life. That I have an abundance and can share SOMETHING with someone who needs a hand up is a blessing. I also felt a profound sense of appreciation for each person who came out that night to support Miracle Messages. Each of them came to serve and make a difference in someone’s somebody.
I wanted to connect them to the impact they have so I shared a short text between my brother Tom and me that we exchanged that very night. A simple “Hello” and setting up a breakfast get together. So normal, so absolutely mundane, right? I hadn’t seen Tom in over 20 years until Miracle Messages reconnected us. I missed him terribly, and I cherish every moment we’re together.
Brett, Nim, Brian, Katie
Beverly, Emme, Nancy, Fernanda, Jen
Kelly, Kevin and all the staff, volunteers and supporters of Miracle Messages:
Thank you for giving me my brother back. He’s my somebody.
Special thanks to Salesforce for providing a wonderful venue for Miracle Messages’ first annual Un-gala! Special shout out to Kevin Adler for kicking off the donations by raising his paddle to fully support reuniting a family. Major kudos to Union Square for their new partnership with Miracle Messages to reunite our unsheltered neighbors with their loved ones. HUGE thanks and love to Nancy for putting me and my bro back together. To Kevin, Jessica and all the staff, volunteers, Detectives, Ambassadors and supporters of Miracle Messages, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Remember: Always err on the side of love & kindness.
Love & Gratitude,
Rob
Facebook Live:
Giving Back Podcast, Episode 273, Insights #100: "Everyone is someone’s somebody"
Backstage at the Giving Back PodcastEpisode 273, Insights #100 "Everyone is someone’s somebody"Midori Verity Bill Verity Nancy Erhard Emme Hertz Volunteer Detectives (Miracle Messages) Kevin F. Adler Brett Copponi #Streetwalks Salesforce Lynne Gordon Moquete
Posted by Rob Lowe on Sunday, November 11, 2018
