shelter&stability News from Willis Dady Homeless Services
Martha’s
Summer
2016
volunteered to go help paint James’s apartment. When I arrived on Sunday morning to pick up the volunteers, there were more than two men willing to help: five guys were waiting for me in the parking lot!
Message
On May 16, 2016 we received a call from a former shelter resident. James had suffered a setback: His apartment had caught fire in the kitchen area, and though he had followed all the necessary steps to put out the fire, there was damage. The kitchen area had sustained most of the damage, but some smoke had traveled to the living room walls and ceiling. James agreed to repair the damage, and the apartment complex allowed him to stay. The next day I went to see him. We talked about the incident and began to clean up the kitchen and living room area, trying to work through the situation. As James described the incident, all I could think about was how we could help him. James entered shelter in November 2015 after his thirteen-year marriage had ended. He was a father of three children, and he spent his time with them when he was not looking for a job or working. While in shelter James was a thoughtful man. At six foot and about 200 pounds, he was gentle and soft spoken. He spent time with a few other men in the evening studying the Bible; you could see them sitting around the table in the men’s area reading and having a discussion. Those who sat with him participated freely. James carried himself in a way that promoted the spirit of kindness. Periodically he would talk about his children. It was obvious that he loved them and worked at being there for them.
James was very grateful to the men who volunteered their time to paint his apartment. “Thank you so much,” he said periodically to us throughout the day. “If there is anything you need, you just have to call me.” His children were there when we arrived that Sunday. They were able to see a small community of men from different backgrounds and experiences come together to help a former resident of our shelter. While we painted, there was laughter, storytelling and conversation about giving back to the community, paying it forward. It reminded me that working together as a community in helping someone in need often leads back to being helped in a time of need. These men were able to come together to help someone they did not know. In turn James offered to help when it is needed in the future.
James admitted to being discouraged after the fire. He felt somewhat lost. I reminded him that he was still working full-time in manufacturing and that this was a major accomplishment. He was also reminded that he could recover from the fire. I returned to shelter to recruit men who would be willing to help James. One of the men I asked replied, “You are helping us. I got your back.” By Friday there were a couple of men who
Willis Dady Homeless Services Board of Directors Sam Jones, President Jim Burke, Vice President Melissa Cullum, Secretary Stephanie Harris, Treasurer
Sam Bergus Trisha Cornwell Connie Donovan Al Fisher
Jill Hawk Carletta Knox-Seymour Jim Koch Kayla Lyftogt
Dave McInally John Oates Nicholas Scott Janet Slimak
Gisele Tallman Jason Vestweber
Phoebe Trepp, Executive Director