15 Things You Hear at a Homeless Shelter

The sounds of day-to-day shelter life as experienced by someone living there

Image by CHÂU VIỄN from Pixabay

For the past year, I’ve been living the dream — that is, if anyone’s dream is to stay in a homeless shelter.

I’ve written pretty extensively on the structure of shelter life. I’ve talked about check-in, meal time, showers, chapel, and bed assignments.

But what about the culture of the shelter? What is life like for the guests there on a day-to-day basis?

The best, most honest way I can come up with to convey the shelter’s culture is through quotes — not only from people staying the night but from employees and chapel speakers as well.

I hope to entertain as well as inform you with this look behind the shelter’s doors.

1 — It’s a cold night on (name of street outside)

It’s 4:40 p.m. and the shelter’s clients are getting restless as they wait for the dinner hour. Two guys are in each other’s faces, yelling.

A supervisor comes charging down the aisle. “GENTLEMEN!” he shouts. “Quit that yelling! Or don’t quit… but remember, it’s going to be a cold night on Poplar.”