How to Share a Sandwich

Posted in howtoshareTagged , , , ,

“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or the life of another.” – Helen Keller

Karen Olson shares a statistic in her book Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose that one in thirty children in the United States experience homelessness annually.

That means that when I volunteered last week at my kids’ elementary school last week to walk the approximately 400 students at school down to have their photo taken for Picture Day, statistically speaking, 13 of them could have experienced homelessness in the last year. It’s overwhelming to even try to comprehend that.

So I love the conversation that Vicki Atkinson and I had with Karen Olson because she has done so much to help homeless families. Karen is the founder and CEO emeritus of Family Promise, an organization committed to ending family homelessness.

Karen shares the story of her encounter with Millie, a woman experiencing homelessness, and how that her decision to not only share a sandwich but also her time as she listened to Millie’s story changed her life forever (see clip below).

She tells us how her sons who were 10 and 12 at the time got involved. And she shares how the “no’s” she received help shape her mission into something even better – an organization that has involved a million volunteers and a nation-wide presence.

In her book, Meant for More, Karen tells not only her story but also some stories of the people Family Promise has helped – from those who experienced homelessness to the volunteers.

In this episode we talk about some of the reasons we hesitate to help people experiencing homelessness. Karen’s guidance is so helpful to help direct our efforts in ways that make a difference.

This is a great episode with a woman who was wired to help others. We know you’ll love it.

Takeaways from this episode:

  • Karen Olson founded Family Promise to help homeless families.
  • The organization mobilizes community resources to provide shelter and support.
  • 80% of families in the program find housing within nine weeks.
  • Personal acts of kindness can lead to significant change.
  • Engaging with the homeless can break down barriers and stereotypes.
  • Community service fulfills the needs of both the giver and receiver.
  • Advocacy is essential for systemic change in homelessness.
  • Many homeless families are hidden from public view.
  • Compassion and kindness can inspire others to act.
  • The journey of helping others can lead to personal healing.

Here’s Karen telling the story about the sandwich that started it all.

Here are some ways you can watch this heartwarming and inspiring episode:

How to Share a Sandwich transcript

How to Share Our Luck with Gil Gillenwater – How To Share

In this enlightening conversation, Gil Gillenwater is with host Wynne Leon and shares his experiences and insights from over 35 years of philanthropic work along the US-Mexico border. He discusses his book, 'Hope on the Border,' which highlights the transformative power of education and community service. Gil emphasizes the importance of enlightened self-interest over traditional charity, advocating for a model that empowers individuals and fosters dignity. He explores the duality of poverty, the need for sustainable opportunities, and the joy found in serving others, ultimately presenting a vision for a more connected and compassionate world.TakeawaysEducation is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.Enlightened self-interest can lead to personal and communal growth.Charity should not be viewed as a sacrifice but as a mutual benefit.Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment.Welfare can disempower individuals and communities.Community service fosters connections and shared humanity.The disparity in wealth is a significant issue that needs addressing.Experiencing poverty firsthand can change perspectives.Creating opportunities in one's home country can reduce migration.The joy of service is a pathway to personal happiness.Links for this episode:How to Share homeHope on the Border at AmazonGil's organization: Rancho FelizGil Gillenwater on FacebookWynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/; Substack: https://wynneleon930758.substack.com/
  1. How to Share Our Luck with Gil Gillenwater
  2. How to Share 1970's Chicago with Doug. E. Jones
  3. How to Share Feedback with Dr. Vicki Atkinson
  4. How to Share the Next Generation with Mari Sarkisian Wyatt
  5. How to Share Impactfully with Social Media Friends with Amy Weinland Daughters

Links for this episode:

Karen’s book: Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Purpose on Barnes & Noble , Bookshop.org and Amazon

Karen Olson, Author

Family Promise Organization

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: ⁠Surviving Sue⁠; Blog: ⁠https://victoriaponders.com/⁠

My book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠;

(featured photo from Pexels)

61 thoughts on “How to Share a Sandwich”

  1. God bless Karen Olson. MRI-based research has demonstrated that we tend to react to the homeless with the same brain activity as we do to furniture.

    Each homeless person we encounter allows us the chance to do good in the world.

    WWJD? I think we know the answer.

    Thank you, Wynne and Vicki, for reminding us.

    Liked by 5 people

  2. Homelessness is a rampant problem and now we have many more people who are working but don’t have a proper roof over their heads.

    Here in St. Louis, we have families whose homes were destroyed or partially destroyed in the May 2025 tornado, who are living in their garages or in tents on their own properties. In many cases insurance won’t cover the costs of repairs, so homeowners are stuck.

    I keep a reusable shopping bag of brand new, top quality socks that I’ve rolled individually into sandwich bags, so I can hand out a couple to a oanhandler at a traffic light. I rarely have small bills to give out, and this is something I can keep handy in the car. It’s a small thing, but even getting clean socks is important for daily hygiene.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. What a great idea to give away socks. My kids make up bags with snacks and juice boxes to give out in our neighborhood.

      I’m so sorry to hear about the families recovering from tornado damage. So hard!

      Thanks for the great comment!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I loved this interview so very much!! I love this quote when Karen was talking about connecting different religions around helping the homeless. “I built a community and that’s just a beautiful thing.” When we were searching for our homeless loved one, we met homeless people who would give their very last bottle of water to help us. The kindness was overwhelming from people who had nothing, but were so willing to give what they had to help. I saw compassion in every shelter, in every church, and in the entire communities where we searched. 💜💜 And everywhere, everywhere people prayed over us. 🥹🙏🏼🙏🏼🥹

    Thank-you Karen Olson for writing this book. 💜💞 It’s so important for people to learn every homeless person’s story is different and even the smallest kindness can change someone’s world.

    “I wrote this book to speak to the profound personal healing that happens when we act on our innate kindness.”
    …”even the smallest act of kindness can have a substantial positive effect.” 💞💞

    Liked by 3 people

    1. What an incredible comment, Rose. You have highlighted so much of the goodness from Karen’s book and our conversation.

      I love what you say about kindness and compassion you encountered in your search. That is so wonderful!!

      Thank for tuning in – appreciate you so much, Rose!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Amazing that 80% of the families in the programme find accommodation within 9 weeks 🙌🏽
    The link you shared made me think of The Samaritans in the UK, a voluntary organisation providing listening and counselling services to those in need of help and/or feeling suicidal. It was founded in 1953 by Chad Varah an English Anglican Priest who found the queues of people waiting to speak with him gradually lessened after they had spoken with the tea ladies and the cleaning ladies instead. They had been listened to and they had left feeling heard. No need to wait for the man himself! Hence, ‘The Samaritans’ became established! 👌

    Liked by 2 people

  10. I’m in the East Bay with my children this week and see so much homelessness. If you don’t see it first hand, you don’t realize what an issue it is. I’m so impressed with how Karen Olson has made such a difference.

    Liked by 2 people

  14. These types of stories are so critical because they can help people change their thinking about people experiencing homelessness and challenge the ignorant notion of labeling them as less than. What if they were one of our children or other family members, especially when issues like mental health are often related?

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Oh my goodness! This is so beautiful and empowering, and it gives all of us clear perspective and guidance. We all can make a difference. And we all need to! Thank you so much for this Wynne and Vicki—- and of course to Karen. So important. Immensely good.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. This was a touching conversation and one direction that I did not expect based on the title alone.

    Homelessness is an even more pressing social issue and it’s hard not to notice how much more prevalent this issue is today when walking through our streets. It’s even more heartbreaking to think about the invisible homelessness we don’t notice, especially with young children and families.

    I love how this work is anchored in supporting food security and making social connections. It doesn’t solve the entire problem but it makes a difference where it matters most.

    I also appreciate the interfaith approach. I have many issues with religion but I generally agree that churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious institutions want to help those in greatest need.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The title might have been a little misleading – sorry! You are so right about the invisible homelessness – I think that’s more rampant than we know. Seattle does this thing where there’s a night where people fan out all over the city and try to count the homeless people It’s hard to do even with hundreds of volunteers!

      I agree about the interfaith approach – how cool to see them all working together! Thanks for tuning in, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Thanks for sharing, Wynne! I’ll watch it now and read her book soon. I volunteer with several nonprofits in our area that help homeless/unhoused communities. I can’t wait to learn more about her organization. Again, thanks for sharing!💕

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Sure to be a meaningful episode and book. I look forward to watching in a few days (traveling up to Portland soon). 😊 The statistics are overwhelming, yes. I thought the same when serving the role of homeless coordinator. Thank you for this share.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. What a wonderful story, Wynne. Any of us could find ourselves without a home if circumstances converged with a breakdown in our fragile support network. “There but for the grace of [Higher Power] go I,” I believe the saying goes. I have had to check myself and my assumptions about those without homes, and am grateful to people I’ve met as a teacher and as a volunteer for setting me straight. Kudos to Karen Olson.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. What an extremely great episode! Karen’s story is amazing and inspirational- and she had so many important things to say about how we treat the homeless. I would love to connect Karen with my friend Dave, who does amazing and innovative work with our areas homeless population. Thanks for sharing Karen’s story!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I love this comment, Todd. You have been such a great supporter of Dave that this episode is right up your alley. Such a good idea to connect Karen and Dave. For a number of logistical reasons I don’t have her direct email address but I’ll see what I can find out!

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.