Convention Delegates Work In Homeless Shelter
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
During the second day of the Republican National Convention Tuesday in New York City, Warsaw's Jean Northenor and other Indiana delegates volunteered in the oldest homeless shelter in the United States.
Northenor called the Times-Union this morning to report on her activities since her report Monday. She is the Third District delegate and is serving on the rules committee of the convention. The Third District includes Kosciusko, Allen, Elkhart, DeKalb and Whitley counties.
Northenor said one of the things the convention organizers asked the states to do is establish a community service project. Janet Westendorf, an alternate delegate from Fort Wayne, organized the Indiana delegates to volunteer at the New York City soup kitchen. The homeless shelter's clientele are mostly men.
While at the shelter, the Indiana volunteers did laundry for the shelter and worked in the kitchen. "I actually worked in the kitchen with the cooks," said Northenor.
Normally, the food is served buffet style to the homeless men. As a treat, though, the shelter had the volunteers serve them like waiters.
"It's got to be the best experience I ever had," said Northenor of working in the kitchen. The operators of the shelter, and the homeless men themselves, she said, were "so appreciative" of the volunteers. "It's hard to describe. They seemed so appreciative of people paying attention to them."
She said the homeless were fed well, being served two pieces of salisbury steak, rice pilaf, fruit cocktail and a drink. "I guarantee it's more than you and I could eat." But for the men at the homeless shelter, it may be their only meal of the day. They served approximately 60 people for lunch and were told about 200 would be served for dinner.
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Northenor said of the "wonderful" volunteering experience. "It was an eye-opener for me."
Northenor's group also was given a tour of the shelter. "It was amazingly clean." The shelter has approximately 100 bunk beds for homeless people to spend a night. Before each man enters the dormitory, they are required to shower and are given a bar of soap and a small bottle of shampoo. They then are given linens for their bunks. In the morning, before the men leave, they strip their beds and turn in the linens, which are washed that day for another night's use.
"It was an experience that a lot of people ought to experience sometime," Northenor said.
Of the five hours the Indiana volunteers spent at the shelter, Northenor said, "that's another side of the convention a lot of people never see."
When they returned to their hotel, she said, they felt "so good" about it. "It was a feeling of euphoria that we did something to make these people's days." The cooks she worked with were "two of the neatest gentlemen."
The convention itself Tuesday night was fun. There were demonstrators outside Market Square, where the convention was held, but police kept them away. "The demonstrators were pretty well blocked off," she said. Security was high, even more stringent than an airport. She said she saw security take nail clippers from one man who didn't want to give them up.
More demonstrators are expected tonight and tomorrow during the convention.
Of speaker Arnold Schwarzenegger, she said, "He was just wonderful." He talked about immigrants and his own experiences and how he became a Republican.
"They've all had different speeches," Northenor said of the speakers, "but Schwarzenegger impressed the dickens out of me."
After President Bush's twin daughters spoke, they then showed a video of their father introducing their mother Laura Bush. Northenor said of Laura's speech, "It was good. You can tell she's not a professional speaker as Schwarzenegger and not as comfortable." Laura talked about the kind of man Bush is.
Northenor had nothing but praise for speaker Sen. John McCain. "I'm going to tell you - that man - you hardly ever got to sit down." She said he has a lot of charisma.
Former NYC Mayor Rudolph Guiliani ad libbed a lot of his speech, she said. There were times when Northenor said Guiliani kept the convention laughing.
During the convention, Northenor was assigned an aisle seat. Those in the aisles are picked so if the news media come, they speak to them. Northenor said she was interviewed several times and was told by others they saw her on television.
Asked about her agenda for today, she said, "Today was a free day so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I may do some shopping. We have no obligations until tonight." [[In-content Ad]]
During the second day of the Republican National Convention Tuesday in New York City, Warsaw's Jean Northenor and other Indiana delegates volunteered in the oldest homeless shelter in the United States.
Northenor called the Times-Union this morning to report on her activities since her report Monday. She is the Third District delegate and is serving on the rules committee of the convention. The Third District includes Kosciusko, Allen, Elkhart, DeKalb and Whitley counties.
Northenor said one of the things the convention organizers asked the states to do is establish a community service project. Janet Westendorf, an alternate delegate from Fort Wayne, organized the Indiana delegates to volunteer at the New York City soup kitchen. The homeless shelter's clientele are mostly men.
While at the shelter, the Indiana volunteers did laundry for the shelter and worked in the kitchen. "I actually worked in the kitchen with the cooks," said Northenor.
Normally, the food is served buffet style to the homeless men. As a treat, though, the shelter had the volunteers serve them like waiters.
"It's got to be the best experience I ever had," said Northenor of working in the kitchen. The operators of the shelter, and the homeless men themselves, she said, were "so appreciative" of the volunteers. "It's hard to describe. They seemed so appreciative of people paying attention to them."
She said the homeless were fed well, being served two pieces of salisbury steak, rice pilaf, fruit cocktail and a drink. "I guarantee it's more than you and I could eat." But for the men at the homeless shelter, it may be their only meal of the day. They served approximately 60 people for lunch and were told about 200 would be served for dinner.
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Northenor said of the "wonderful" volunteering experience. "It was an eye-opener for me."
Northenor's group also was given a tour of the shelter. "It was amazingly clean." The shelter has approximately 100 bunk beds for homeless people to spend a night. Before each man enters the dormitory, they are required to shower and are given a bar of soap and a small bottle of shampoo. They then are given linens for their bunks. In the morning, before the men leave, they strip their beds and turn in the linens, which are washed that day for another night's use.
"It was an experience that a lot of people ought to experience sometime," Northenor said.
Of the five hours the Indiana volunteers spent at the shelter, Northenor said, "that's another side of the convention a lot of people never see."
When they returned to their hotel, she said, they felt "so good" about it. "It was a feeling of euphoria that we did something to make these people's days." The cooks she worked with were "two of the neatest gentlemen."
The convention itself Tuesday night was fun. There were demonstrators outside Market Square, where the convention was held, but police kept them away. "The demonstrators were pretty well blocked off," she said. Security was high, even more stringent than an airport. She said she saw security take nail clippers from one man who didn't want to give them up.
More demonstrators are expected tonight and tomorrow during the convention.
Of speaker Arnold Schwarzenegger, she said, "He was just wonderful." He talked about immigrants and his own experiences and how he became a Republican.
"They've all had different speeches," Northenor said of the speakers, "but Schwarzenegger impressed the dickens out of me."
After President Bush's twin daughters spoke, they then showed a video of their father introducing their mother Laura Bush. Northenor said of Laura's speech, "It was good. You can tell she's not a professional speaker as Schwarzenegger and not as comfortable." Laura talked about the kind of man Bush is.
Northenor had nothing but praise for speaker Sen. John McCain. "I'm going to tell you - that man - you hardly ever got to sit down." She said he has a lot of charisma.
Former NYC Mayor Rudolph Guiliani ad libbed a lot of his speech, she said. There were times when Northenor said Guiliani kept the convention laughing.
During the convention, Northenor was assigned an aisle seat. Those in the aisles are picked so if the news media come, they speak to them. Northenor said she was interviewed several times and was told by others they saw her on television.
Asked about her agenda for today, she said, "Today was a free day so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I may do some shopping. We have no obligations until tonight." [[In-content Ad]]