My name is Susan and I am a nurse practitioner in a private practice in Moorestown, NJ. I was on the bus on Good Friday to help the women who venture to Broadway every Friday afternoon. My intentions were to help in anyway that I could and to listen to what the women had to say. I figured that in private practice I listen to what women have to say everyday, and that nothing would surprise me since I have done that for 30 years.
Well, it is quite different from what most people would expect. After all, I use to work in Philadelphia and Camden for quite a long time and I would not be surprised. I was engaged and amazed as I sat on the bus and watched the women come aboard. You could observe on their faces that "the bus" was a safe haven and a few minutes of respite. I watched, wondering how some of these poor women survived everyday life. A lunch bag filled with a sandwich and a drink was a wonderful treat, but the people who listened to them and tried to lend a hand were like gold.
Good Friday to me as a Christian is a very important day. I sat on the bus with my heart heavy and really moved by all the activity that occurred on that day. The little things that most people take for granted can make a difference on these streets today. I live less than 20 minutes from Camden but had no idea what a war zone it has become. The breakfast on Saturday mornings is something for these women to look forward to as well as the bus on Friday afternoons. Everyone can try and make a difference, we just have to care enough. "The bus" made a big difference to me and the way I will try and help and listen. That day I knew God showed me that everything and everyone counts. I am a better woman and will be a better health care provider because of my day on "the bus". I will
continue to help and care for those women and pray for their recovery and a better life.
Susan
