Working in a homeless center has provided me a view of human dignity that I might not otherwise have had……
A troubled soul, one who is often difficult and incoherent, who takes the initiative to clean the coffee center, just because it needs doing….and does it superbly….
A man, grateful for a donated belt and the opportunity to tuck in his shirt, who has been using a knotted shoelace strung through several belt loops to hold up his pants…
A man employed on a job for the first time since release from prison, able to reimburse the center for the cost of his identification card, smiling and feeling good about his prospects now…
A mother with the money for deposits for her own apartment now, having obtained a job and getting her children registered in a school nearby…
An alcoholic, desparately trying to get and stay clean, wearing a new pair of workboots and socks and with the assurance of a steady work ticket as long as he stays sober….
A woman, celebrating her new job and apartment by sharing a bag of just-bought fresh fruit with others in the center…
A man willingly accepting placement in a residential recovery program, having gotten to the place of acceptance that his current way of life is going nowhere…