The Invisible Words exhibit now on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. features handcrafted signs from those experiencing homelessness. Wendy Abrams, who created the exhibit, bought signs from homeless people she met over the years. Abrams hopes that her exhibit will start a dialogue on how to help those in need, as well as how to treat them with respect. 

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) hosted its Mid-Atlantic Day of Reflection, “Ephphatha: Be Opened!” on March 14, coinciding with the recent opening of Invisible Words: An exercise in empathy exhibition at the library.

The IVC is a Jesuit-affiliated organization that places volunteers ages 50 and above in organizations in their local communities to serve those in need. “Volunteers live the Gospel in a new way at this time in their lives, and reflect personally and with others on this experience,” according to IVC’s website. 

Upon entering St. Patrick’s Church in downtown Washington, attendees were given programs that were colored either lavender or yellow that separated them into two groups – one group would go to First Congregational United Church of Christ for lunch, while the other attended the exhibit. After 45 minutes, they would switch. The program included a reflection guide on empathy to guide viewers throughout the exhibit. 

Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated the Mass to start the IVC’s retreat at St. Patrick’s Church, tying in how people can practice ephphatha when reaching out to those who are experiencing the effects of poverty and homelessness. 

Ephphatha is an Aramaic word that means “be opened,” and is found in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute as he said, “Ephphatha’ to him, “And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.” (Mark 7:31-37)

“Far too many hearts, and eyes, and ears are closed to the needs of the poor,” Cardinal Gregory said in his homily. 

The cardinal also told those in attendance that it is not enough just to donate money or food to help those affected by homelessness. 

“We need to look at them and see them as people, not just needy people, but real people whose hearts are broken because of poverty,” Cardinal Gregory said. “The Holy Father says, ‘Don’t just give them something, talk to them.’”

Cardinal Gregory also referenced the recent five attacks on the homeless in New York City and Washington D.C., which have resulted in two deaths. Authorities have since arrested a suspect they believe is responsible for the attacks in both cities.

The exhibit at the D.C. library near the church was curated by Wendy Abrams, a social activist based out of Chicago and founder of the 1111 Foundation. Abrams bought the featured signs from people experiencing homelessness.

Originally, Abrams bought the signs for about 20 dollars each for her own use at home. After her sister and some guests in her home expressed how reading the signs moved them, she considered collecting more to form an exhibit to share.

“The motivation for doing this is an exercise in empathy, and (to) see other people’s perspectives. I don’t want to pretend to have the answers,” Abrams said in an interview.

It took her a few years to compile all the signs. Most of the signs are from across the United States, however Abrams added that some are from Vancouver, Canada; Australia; London; and Germany.

“The point being: this is everywhere,” Abrams said. “This is not a local problem, it’s a national problem.”

Abrams said she is not trying to be prescriptive in how to remedy the crisis of unhoused individuals – rather she wants people to be reminded of how each person has a different story, filled with nuances, that led to their lives on the street. 

“I think there’s a perception that everyone who is homeless is lazy, or a drug addict, or mentally ill,” Abrams said. “While certainly those are subsets of people confronted with homelessness, I don’t think it’s quite that simple.”

The messages on the signs included, “Homeless Hungry Help,” “Kindness makes our world a better place,” and “Gulf War Vet… Anything will help, especially food and water. Thank you, God bless.”

IVC President and CEO Mary McGinnity helped coordinate the exhibit. One of the main considerations with bringing Abrams’ exhibit to the MLK Memorial Library was figuring out how to connect viewers to these powerful signs, suspended in time and detached from their owners.

“This is an exercise in empathy, that’s the idea of really opening your heart to the person that is behind the sign, going deeper. Just the way the cardinal spoke about in his homily today. It’s more than simply giving someone a coat, food (or) housing – it’s loving the human being,” McGinnity said. 

Art Baltrym has served as an IVC volunteer since 2009. He enjoyed the exhibit, saying it is the community’s responsibility to help those in need and to better understand the differing circumstances that have put people in vulnerable positions. 

“It’s our responsibility to take care of these people, most of them can’t work,” Baltrym said. He added, however, that while some are not able to work, there are those who are juggling multiple “small” jobs and still struggle financially. 

Ultimately, Baltrym said that it is up to citizens to begin the process of “understanding [those affected by homelessness] and opening their [own] hearts.” 

Washington, D.C. had roughly 6,380 people experiencing homelessness in January 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That same year, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser released Homeward 2.0, a plan to end homelessness in the city that includes recognizing the impact of structural racism on the problem. 

Invisible Words will run at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library until June 30. The library is located at 901 G Street, N.W.