Channing Boone last weekend.
A few days before handing out coats to our friends on the street last weekend, Channing Boone, the Founder of Coated in Compassion, asked everyone to take a moment to reflect on what it means to be human.
“So often we speed through life and miss out on the smallest moments that have a profound impact in our daily lives. Care, commitment, and compassion is what I ask that you come equipped with,” Channing added.
And that’s what our volunteers came with. They cared for our friends who are homeless, not only through the coats they gave (and many of you gave) but also through the time they spent with our friends.
“As for the commitment and compassion, let that come in the form you see fit,” Channing said. “It may be commitment to smile or commitment to step outside of your comfort zone. The compassion could be seeing those we help as more than just another face, but another incredible person, just like yourself.”
Care, commitment and compassion are what every human needs. When we choose to walk those out in relationships, it’s like what Channing said. It’s smiling and being brave. It’s spending time with someone and giving them a coat. It’s asking their name and shaking their hand. And it’s coming back again to say hello.
When we are caring, committed and compassionate to the people around us, we are a mirror to them of the worth already in them—that they are made in the image of God.
That is what Channing asked us to remember as we gave out coats to our homeless friends last weekend. She gently pointed us to the reason for the coat, a reason that goes beyond making sure our friends are safe and warm. And that is friendship. Something that we at The Human Impact believe changes people.
Our volunteers and friends.
One of our goals at The Human Impact is to provide a space for the never-homeless community to walk hand-in-hand with the homeless community. When Channing reached out to us about her story and her heart behind wanting to bless our friends who are homeless with coats, we wanted to partner with her.
We are grateful for Channing Boone and her heart behind Coated in Compassion. We are grateful 63 people experiencing homelessness in Dallas were given coats to stay warm last weekend. And we are grateful for the new friendships formed because of the care, commitment and compassion of our volunteers and friends.