The Day of the Prom
My initial take on the homeless was likely the same as most of the general public’s; the grizzled, alcoholic old man begging for change while slumped on a corner in NYC with a dirty styrofoam cup. So when my girlfriend Stephanie (who is in the same thesis class as Najlah at Parsons School of Design) told me about the Do1Thing event that would be followed by a “homeless prom,” my first reaction was laughter. “A homeless prom?” I asked with bemused disbelief. I pictured those same grizzled old men slow dancing in a dimly lit high school auditorium a la “Napoleon Dynamite.”
Being the good boyfriend that I am, I agreed to go with Steph to the Covenant House to support her fellow thesis student who was obviously part of a great cause (albeit one that I did not yet fully grasp). We made the drive over to Newark from safe, comfortable little Hoboken armed with video cameras and computers with which to record our experiences, all the while completely unsure of what to expect. What we immediately found were beaming, friendly people who were genuinely happy to see us. We were whisked into the main area where we got settled and had a bite to eat, after which we were given a tour of the Covenant House facilities.
I had no idea how many kids and young adults are literally homeless. I was instantly embarrassed at my new realization, and it hit me hardest when I saw the Covenant House’s dorms. When I was 19 and in college dorms, becoming homeless wasn’t even on my mind. The due date of my sociology paper, what party I was going to attend that weekend, and whether or not they were serving tater tots that night in the ‘caf were the biggest quandaries I faced. There are kids whose bedrooms are under the boardwalk in Atlantic City and beneath bridges in Newark. There are teenage mothers who have been constantly abused in ways I can’t even imagine and who have nowhere to go. I’ve never felt so ashamed for taking my life for granted or so lucky for what I have been blessed with. I left my comfort zone to learn something new and to donate my unused items and time, and I’m grateful to be able to do it.
These kids are going to have their first full-out prom tonight (the prom that I laughed at) thanks to Kathleen O’Donnell-Pickert and hundreds of donations of suits and dresses from thoughtful individuals. And thanks to Naj, Do1Thing, and the Covenant House, I’m gladly eating my words.
-Tim Roche
