Benjamin Shares His Day at OM Clinic

I was giving a haircut today to a young man from Oklahoma. He told me that he had never seen anything like our clinic in all the cities he has visited. He wished more cities would offer the nonjudgmental care that we at Occupy Medical provide. He commented that he felt that all the volunteers truly cared about him and for all the other homeless folks.

Volunteers work Together to Set Up the Medical Tents Every Sunday Morning

We volunteers at Occupy Medical seldom have the time during clinic to stop and take in what is truly happening. I personally gave 11 haircuts in four hours today…And that doesn’t count detangling Leather Jacket Dude’s long curly locks. So what I’m trying to say is, I seldom have the time to notice the magic that is happening around me….I feel it but do not always witness it.

Today I witnessed a part of what truly makes me proud to be with this company. Jason came into our intake tent and said that the man with him needed immediate help. He sat him down in Donna’s intake chair and Donna immediately began her process. Jason said to the man, “Are you thirsty,” but did not wait for a reply and ran to get him water. Then Nurse Donna appeared and surveyed the situation. She asked him if he had eaten today and then ran, I mean literally ran to the hospitality tent to get him a sandwich. Within no time the man was fast tracked into the bus. I quietly said to the young man in the chair. What you just witnessed is what makes this team so very special. No one is paid or forced to be here, pure love is the glue that holds this place together.

This is only one incident. I do not always see what happens outside the tent or witness the quality, loving care that is given on the bus. But at the end of the day I see The faces, very tired faces, but faces that glow from knowing that we have truly made a difference today. As my friend and fellow volunteer Carla mentioned after I told her what I witnessed, “This is what villages and small towns used to do, they took care of one Another…We are recreating Community.”