A CANADIAN TRADITION | Ellie Braun-Haley |
In the city of Calgary, Alberta, there is a talented group of young Canadian dancers called Michelle's Dance Works. In the summer of 2001, ten of the members of the dance group traveled to New York for two weeks of studying dance and seeing the sights of New York. While they were there the young women, aged 16 to 22 had an experience that touched their lives and hearts and brought them home with new perspectives. One of the dancers, Cara had recently been to Mexico. She commented on the poverty that she saw first hand while there. All that she witnesses touched the sensitive young woman deeply and Cara found it very difficult to see food being wasted. As she traveled about in New York, Cara was now seeing another group of people, destitute, and homeless. The plight of these people weighed heavily upon her. On one of their first nights in New York the girls were all out eating and Cara could see that there was going to be a lot of left over food, half sandwiches and complete slices of pizza. Cara shared an idea with her fellow travelers, then suggested that everyone request doggy bags (containers to take home the left-overs) for the untouched food. The girls loved Cara's idea and soon ten Canadian girls were on the streets of New York in search of homeless people. They had decided to give the untouched food to these less fortunate New Yorkers. During the day the girls had seen countless numbers of these people so they knew there should not be a problem. "Well, we had a bit of problem," explained Eva, one of the dancers. "It seemed as though the homeless people had suddenly disappeared. There we were ten enthusiastic Canadians, with all this food in those white Styrofoam containers and no one in sight to give it to." The dancers continued walking in their search and eventually they came across people who graciously and gratefully accepted their food. In fact these people were so appreciative and pleased with the kind act that it had a heart felt affect on the Canadian dancers. I got tears in my eyes as I listened to my niece talk about the warm reception these young girls got from the recipients of the food. "Aunt Ellie, it just made me want to do this more (give out food and help). These people were so appreciative. They had to look for food in dumpsters! You could literally feel their happiness." Well, Cara's idea motivated the dancers that night and thereafter for the remaining nights. Each evening after eating the girls walked the city streets searching for homeless people so that they could share their meal and make a small difference. It had become a Canadian tradition. Ten girls traveled to New York to study dance and learn new techniques. Perhaps they expected adventure on this working holiday. They returned with more than they had counted on. In recognizing a problem and with the encouragement of Cara, all the girls were soon impassioned to help again and again. In opening up to the need of the homeless the girls discovered the tremendous joy of giving to others. They have likely left a bit of themselves behind in New York City and gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of service to others.
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