Photo Essay 1- Michaila Cohen

A huge conflict in today’s day and age is homelessness. Homelessness is defined as “a temporary condition that people fall into when they cannot afford to pay for a place to live, or when their current home is unsafe or unstable.” However, many times these people can not get themselves back up on their feet so they are stuck permanently on the streets or or visiting homeless shelters every day. Even if these people go to shelters to get food and a roof over their head, they usually only have specific hours that they can go before it closes, forcing them to sleep outside many times.

Marissa Garza is a freshman at Cornerstone University. She currently resides in Toledo, Ohio and has a passion for God and for people. While at school, she felt God calling her to use these passions in some way. This call led her to create her organization called Love Covers All. Her organization focuses on the homeless, as she feels that even people living on the streets should be shown the love of Christ just the same. In order to do this, Marissa collects winter clothing, especially scarves which are many times handmade. In addition, she collects items such as toiletries, snacks, and even personal notes of encouragement to put in individual bags for each person she comes across. Although she currently stays on campus and does work around Grand Rapids, she collects items through her church back home as well. But even more important than that, Marissa goes with a couple of people to hand out these items and takes time to get to know each person they encounter and even asks to pray with them.

Marissa and a friend lay out all of the items they have collected to get an idea of how to arrange and pack the items into individual bags.

Many winter clothes such as gloves, hats, and handmade scarves were collected and put into a pile to hand out later.

The bags begin getting packed with items such as water bottles, which many times we forget is unavailable to the homeless.

In each bag, a heartfelt note or drawing made by children at Marissa's church is included as a personal touch.

Marissa makes sure to make bags for both genders, including feminine products for women and more manly items such as first aid kits for men. (A men's bag is pictured here.)

 

Marissa Garza, 18 year old founder of Love Covers All and student at Cornerstone University, poses in downtown Grand Rapids during a trip to visit the homeless.

Marissa brings along her friend, Brittany Huff, downtown to help pass out the 20 bags that they filled.

While walking down the street where most of the homeless congregate, the buildings become noticeably more run down and abandoned.

After getting bags and thanking us for coming, people congregate back into their original groups with others whom they treat like family because many times it is the only family they know.

Two women "Mulan" and "Pocahontas," welcome us with smiles and introduce themselves, explaining how they each got their nicknames.

Mulan and Pocahontas are eager to introduce us to their friends further down the street and greet them both with hugs.

Marissa, who's parents came from Mexico, meets a man who speaks Spanish and he is so thankful to be able to tell her his story, he grabs her hand the entire time.

The Spanish-speaking man, named Jésus, is very appreciative of Marissa and Brittany taking the time to pray for him and the difficulties that he is facing from having to live on the streets.