Luke’s Reflection
My name is Luke Dykes and I’m one of five interns working at AYM for the summer. We’re now about three weeks into my internship and I have to say things couldn’t be better. So far the work has been great and even more rewarding than I could have imagined. Working with the agencies is great, but my favorite part of the job is the interaction with the people that I meet. Between the kids who come to Asheville and the clients and other wonderful people that I get to know through the agencies, I’ve managed to make friends and discover stories of people that much of the world would overlook completely.
The places that we work are all very special in their own way, but one place in particular has provided plenty of memories. Haywood Street Ministries is a community where every person, no matter where they happen to be in life or what their situation, is welcomed. Every Wednesday, Haywood St serves a free lunch for all comers followed by an optional worship service as well. The magic of Haywood Street is defined by its unique atmosphere. I’ve never experienced a place where people from all walks of life are so openly encouraged to interact.
One of the main principles that Haywood incorporates is the right to belong to a community. This is perfectly exemplified in the way that Haywood Street operates. It is commonplace to see people living on the streets sitting next to people wearing thousand dollar suits, chatting about the recent weather. The lunches and worship are full of interactions between two people that seemingly have nothing in common.
It gets even better though. When we at AYM take youth to Haywood, they get to experience it all for the first time. They sit down at a table with people that many of them would never consider eating lunch with and leave with stories of righting a path or discovering purpose in life. Watching the kids’ perceptions change right before my eyes is rivaled only by experiencing my own views change as well. I wasn’t exactly sure how this internship would change me, but I’m already realizing that even in the short time I’ve had working with AYM, many of my views on the world are changing for the better.
