Serving in San Francisco at the Tenderloin District in the City Impact program, Fresno State student Jocelyn Boe gained a new perspective on the homeless population. She began to see the value in how you treat someone, even just in small, ordinary ways.

"Working there [with City Impact], you hear people’s stories and each one is unique and surprising in its own way," she said. "You never know where someone has been and how they ended up where they have."

Jocelyn felt broken-hearted that the homeless can lack something so essential as mere civil human contact.

"Many of them hadn’t had a hug in ages," she said. "Most of us, and I include myself in this, have walked by individuals who are homeless and try to avoid eye contact. Think about that. No one even makes eye contact with them. It’s like they are ignored by the rest of the human race."

Jocelyn realized it can be uncomfortable to have a meaningful conversation with a homeless individual, but her experiences serving them — with things like street outreach, meals on wheels, and replacing worn out carpet — changed her entire outlook in so many ways.

"We would often talk to them and just the fact we were talking to them and acknowledging them made them feel way better," she said.

Participating in City Impact made Jocelyn realize how fortunate she was.

"I never realized the value in how you treat someone, even just in smiling or looking at them and really seeing them," she said. "Seeing that they are just like you in more ways than you could ever imagine. And it makes you think about the state of the world in a different way."

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