CAITLIN WHITE
Assistant Living Editor
Living in Malibu is often compared to living in a little “bubble,” students scout for celebrities while ordering Starbucks, head to the beach in Juicy Couture and casually drive their BMW’s around campus. In the midst of all this wealth, it is easy to forget that just outside our ocean side enclave, are the poverty stricken neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
The truth is, Skid Row is just around the corner, and in spite of how daunting prospect that serving the homeless can be, Pepperdine students have undertaken the task through an initiative called Midnight Mission. Junior Clay Gleb is serving as director of the program for the second year.
Can you give us a little history on Midnight Mission? Obviously you guys don’t volunteer at midnight…
Midnight Mission was started in 1914, it was originally built by a preacher who would give a sermon from 9 until midnight and then serve everyone dinner. It is no longer religiously affiliated, the mission used to preach to the homeless before they served them dinner, but they stopped doing that because they didn’t want to discourage people from coming, so there is now no requirement as far as being fed.
So who runs the mission?
The building and the mission are privately funded, which is nice, because it means they don’t rely on the government at all, so they can do what they want. The building is 3 years old now, but it is a really nice facility. They offer the usual meals to the population, a courtyard for safety and warmth, showers and toiletries, and also the rehab program, which is basically the foundation for the whole organization. They have programs for both Alcoholics Anonymous and Cocaine Addicts Anonymous.
Why did you decide to get involved with Midnight Mission?
I first got involved as a requirement for my freshman religion class because we had to choose a program to volunteer for. I knew I wanted to do something with the homeless, and Midnight Mission worked out with my schedule, to go on Wednesday.
I honestly thought it was something I’d just do for class and be done with, but I just really felt like I was making a difference, like I was involved with something bigger than myself. Being here at Pepperdine I feel like I’ve been given a lot, and the least I can do is give back to the people who don’t have as much.
How did you become the coordinator, especially as an underclassman?
Basically, it was just the person who coordinated it when I was a freshman was a senior, and I’d gone almost every Wednesday, so she suggested maybe I should think about being the coordinator, since I had the most experience. So I applied for the position, and got the job, and obviously I have been involved ever since.
So what does s a typical day serving at Midnight Mission look like?
We meet around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m., and drive down to Los Angeles in a Pepperdine van. New volunteers are give a tour of the whole facility, usually from someone who works for the mission, either they are fully recovered or in the rehab program. They give us a description of what we’ll be doing, and pass out our equipment hairnets, aprons and gloves.
Then we start serving the people, anywhere from 400 to 1,000 people a night, depending on the time of year.
For our first Wednesday, last week we served 350. This may seem like a lot, but they are really efficient with how they get people in and out, so it goes pretty quickly for how many people there actually are.
After everyone is served, we always stay to help clean up both the kitchen and the dining room, and usually the staff invites us to have dinner with them. Then we shuttle back to Pepperdine.
Why should students do Midnight Mission in particular, when they have so many other volunteer opportunities?
The unique thing about Midnight Mission, is that you are actually able to interact with not only the people you are serving food to, but also with the people in the rehab program who are helping you serve. As opposed to some volunteer activities, in Midnight Mission you really come face to face with the work you are doing.
You see those 700 faces that get a warm meal, you see the results of what you’re doing instantly. This program also helps combat a problem in the L.A. area. There are more than 90,000 people who are homeless in Los Angeles, so this is a much needed program.
What is your most memorable moment from all the times you’ve volunteered at the mission?
I don’t know if I could give one moment but the most satisfying thing for me now is to see my volunteers have the same experience I had, to realize that they’re actually making a difference, contributing to something that’s bigger than themselves.
We get too caught up in the Malibu ideas, and forget about people who have nothing. For me to be able to give that experience to people who have nothing is the most memorable experience for me
To get involved with Midnight Mission, please contact Clay Gleb at (206) 778-7141.
09-20-2007