BBQ Sauce Sandwich

After about 3 months of careful planning, I , along with a few other social service agencies but I say "I" because I did the most work!!!, hosted a Youth Vigil in Atlantic City to allow youth from the different youth organizations to speak out about how violence has affected them.  It was wonderful! I asked the alumni from "Touchstones" (see previous blog) to speak and we had about 7 other youth share their stories and songs about how violence has made an impact on their lives. It was really powerful.

One youth's story really got to me though...This "kid" was about 23, came to Atlantic City from Camden, and shared his story about growing up. He spoke about how his mother had been too intoxicated to know that he was even being born and he ended up on a bare floor at birth. He shared how the front of his "house" was actually the backyard of someone else's home. He said there were 8 people in his home sharing 2 bedrooms and one bathroom. And he said he was made to eat BBQ sauce sandwiches.

Not BBQ sandwiches...BBQ sauce. I had heard from youth over the years about ketchup soup and syrup sandwiches...but never BBQ sauce sandwiches. And as he continued to share his story, he got caught up and couldn't finish, so fresh still was his pain from having to endure such a childhood.  And I hurt for him.

This kid ended up coming to Covenant House right from Camden, fresh out of prison. Although he is not currently a "Cov kid" (and I never knew him from Covenant House) he is involved with the other YouthBuild program in the city run by the Boys and Girls Club. He's trying to make it. He's trying to rise above his past. He's trying to gain a better future than BBQ sauce sandwiches.

When we think we have it bad...or want to try and hold on to "how bad we had it"...think of these things...Think about the kids who have to endure such atrocities, who have grown up with absolutely messed up parents, poor, crowded, and now they are still so young, trying to let go, trying to rise above what helped shape them into what our social service agencies have to deal with. Do I blame his past entirely? No...but what chance does a kid like that have? What message does it send to him as a child that you aren't worth being sober for so I can welcome you into the world? That I, or anyone else, can make sure we have enough resources to feed you properly?

Granted, I don't know all the ins and outs of this kids situation...but I totally believe there was a large amount a truth...His tears told me so...May we consider "the least of these"...