Last Monday, some wonderful volunteers from The Sawtooth Group cooked and shared dinner with the ladies of The Dwelling Place in New York City, a transitional shelter for homeless women.
As I tried to think of how to describe this special place, I was reminded of a conversation I heard at my table.
While we were eating there was a particular exchange that seems apropos between Jay Quilty, our head of client services, and Sister Margaret, one of the inspiring nuns who selflessly gives to the women of The Dwelling Place and the homeless women of NYC.
Sister Margaret asked Jay where the name “Sawtooth” came from. He told her the story of the partner who suggested the name during an agency brainstorming session. He said “How about Sawtooth? After the Sawtooth mountains. Not many people have heard of them. but once they get to know them, they are very impressive.” Sister Margaret, quick and insightful as ever, replied, “That sounds just like The Dwelling Place.”
That rang incredibly true for me, and many of my colleagues as well. I heard about The Dwelling Place through a wonderful friend of my dad’s. I wanted to spend time with him and I wanted to volunteer. Getting involved in the gala committee solved both of those needs.
My expectations were based on my predisposed notions of what a homeless shelter would be like. And I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The Dwelling Place is truly special. It is run by two inspiring women, Sister Nancy and Sister Margaret. They literally take care of every single woman that comes through their doors. From making sure their basic needs are met, to teaching them to budget their money, to administering medications, to navigating them through the absurd government red tape, to (and perhaps most importantly) making them feel that they are safe and listened to.
As a board member, I am involved in fundraising for The Dwelling Place, but I wanted to get more personally involved. That’s how we decided to plan and serve a dinner for the ladies. We wanted to get to know them and hear their stories.
And we did. We were fortunate to share a meal with some of the women who live there now, and some who have transitioned to life on their own. Their stories about how the Dwelling Place helped them turn their lives around and get back on their feet would inspire even the most jaded of us.
We heard things like:
“It’s not the food. It’s not the shelter. It’s the love. There’s so much love.”
“At the Dwelling Place, there is the human touch. I think I spent the best Christmas ever while I was here. I now live in a lovely 1-bedroom apartment and have new opportunities to move forward in my life.”
“I am so grateful for the grace of these sisters… They helped me find a wonderful place to live. They’re there for me. Even now. If they ever needed anything, I’d come running.”
I am truly honored to be involved with such a wonderful, important place for women. The stories are more amazing and inspiring than I imagined, and are stories that I can’t wait to figure out how to share.
