When people enjoy a cup of hot tea or coffee near a wood-burning stove in the winter, they often fail to think about how lucky they are. There are many homeless people in the world who cannot experience such simple pleasures and do not even have a warm, comfortable place to live or enough food to survive on. They try to make their homes under bridges, in old junk cars, or by sharing rooms with many other homeless people in crowded shelters. Fellow initiates in Ohio treat the homeless to a sumptuous meal at the Cincinnati Shelter.The "Homeless Project" was established by initiates of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association in Ohio, U.S.A. to help alleviate some of the suffering of such people in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. Practitioners in other states supported our efforts greatly by helping us to raise enough money to carry on the Homeless Project, and some even made a many-hour drive to help us distribute food on New Year's Day.

Before Christmas Day, we wrapped over 200 gift boxes with colorful Christmas wrappings and bows to show our love and respect for residents of Cincinnati's Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse, who would be receiving them. When the homeless heard that we were coming, they become very excited. Everyone was happy to receive our pretty gift boxes, which contained bran new socks, gloves, hats, cookies and candies. The Shelterhouse manager said that these were very thoughtful gifts because the residents really need warm socks, gloves and hats during the winter. The homeless people find the vegetarian dishes a delight to the palate.One homeless man came up to us and said that he was very hungry because the shelter only had some soup for lunch, and then he had to wait for a long time until dinner. He added that the cold weather made him feel even hungrier. After hearing this, we decided to volunteer to cook a vegetarian meal for the homeless on New Year's Day as a New Year's gift.

Early on New Year's morning, we came to the Shelterhouse to cook and serve vegetarian food for the several hundred residents, and were very delighted to see their happiness when we arrived. Our group stood at the table to serve each person individually as he or she stood in line. Master's love seemed to permeate the atmosphere as we all felt that they were one of us, just like our brothers and sisters.

We were honored to have the opportunity to care and to provide for them with all the food and soft drinks that they wanted. We paid close attention to the residents, giving them words of consolation and care while silently reciting the Holy Names and Master's name to bring God's blessings to them. Afterwards, they felt more comfortable due to our friendliness. Everyone said that it was an excellent meal, and they were very surprised to learn that it was vegetarian. Many people came back for more helpings. Most showed gratitude for our work, and we enjoyed serving them just as much as they enjoyed eating the vegetarian food. Some of the homeless people began to ask about our organization, and we distributed many sample booklets, hoping that some day they could have the opportunity to follow a living Master who could help them return to their real Homeland.

After this successful visit, our Homeless Project group continued to visit other shelters for the homeless in the Cincinnati area. One day, when we came to cook at a smaller shelter located in Hamilton, Ohio, near our local group meditation center, we met a well-educated lady with two young children, who had just come to live in the shelter. Her situation touched us. She had lost her job and did not have enough money to pay the rent. Because of this, by law, she had to leave her house. And, having no place to go, she and her two young children slept in their car for a few days, remaining cold and hungry in the freezing weather.

Just the night before she came to the shelter, she had had a dream that she would have a good meal to eat. Her dream came true the next day when our Homeless Project group visited the shelter and cooked for the residents!

The more we help these people, the more we understand their beautiful roles in being homeless. Some people stereotype the homeless as being lazy, mentally ill, or heavy drug users. However, we found that most homeless people are often victims of society. We thank Master for allowing us to have a chance to serve them. They are like saints and are quite brave. They have been chosen to come down to this Earth to teach us the lessons of sharing, love and compassion.

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