A large group of teens from my hometown gathered together in August of 2012 for a car trip up to New York. Our plan was to help spread hope to those living on the streets in the city. We brought granola bars and packs of peanut butter crackers to the homeless, talking with them and learning about their experiences. The massive and bustling city is filled with people in need, and we got to speak to many people. Our trip was funded by a local Eastern Hindi church which sponsored our youth group to go, the church was called Naya Jeevan which in Hindi means "New Life". Their goal is to spread love and hope throughout the city and to encourage those in need to never give up and to pursue a new life free from poverty, crime, or drugs.
Being able to go on this trip was an opportunity to see how difficult life can be to others, and teaches us not only to be grateful but it can encourage us to help others. Naya Jeevan sent us to help spread hope, but that can be done by spreading small acts of kindness every day.
Our second night there after being out in the city for the day handing out food to the needy, my friends and I left the church building where we had been sleeping on the floor in blankets and sleeping bags at one o'clock in the morning to go to the local Mcdonalds down the street. We rode the subway into the city, which seemed to change drastically at night time. Walking down the streets of New York during the dead of night gives a new perspective to the city, and one could feel the sense of danger lurking from all corners. I realized that I would be afraid to be alone in this city at night without a home to return to for safety. The city is cold and uninviting, but even in that darkness there is still hope. It is never too late for a life to change and for hope to return. There is always hope for Naya Jeevan, a new life for those in need.
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