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When Jim Batic came to the shelter, he knew he had a long way to go, that hasn’t slowed him down though...
Larger Than Life
The story of one man’s walk to health, and a bettter life...
Staff Writer This is a story about a gentleman who is larger than life. I use that terminology for the simple fact that he is but in two different ways. Jim Batic entered our facility at the weight of 460 pounds. By societies standards he is considered a large man and would be ridiculed by many for his size, but what those people do not know about Jim is I would say of the 460 pounds, 300 pounds of it is his heart. This is a man who goes through each day offering his services in any way he can. Never complaining or feeling self pity about his size Jim simply smiles every minute of every day sitting in his specially built chair and bed asking over and over what he can do to contribute in the assisting of our clients. His day is one of boredom as he enjoys sitting in the front lobby area reading books and watching the people as they come and go, and when asked by a staff member if there is anything he would like to do, he simply states “thank you but I’m fine, this is all very good for me.” 99% of the time we try to keep the clients out of the lobby as to not interrupt business as it gets pretty hectic at times but with Jim it is a pleasure to have him there. He has a wit and banter that makes him enjoyable to talk to not to mention he can be a pretty intimidating sight to those who come in to cause trouble. We do not ask anything of Jim, no money, no work, nothing; we just want him to be around because of who he is. He has always had a propensity for helping people. Throughout his life anytime he saw someone in need he would go out of his way to assist them. If they needed food Jim would feed them, if they needed a ride Jim would be their chauffeur, if they needed socks or shoes Jim would forget about what he needed and get them what they needed. East New Mexico University is where he gained his education and knowledge in computers and put that to good use by becoming a computer pro-
grammer for Bartlett Bank. Before joining the work force Jim was with the Air Force and please refrain from all the jokes that may be entering your mind about that. He was an administrator and obviously the recruiters saw enough potential and future in him that he was accepted into arguably the hardest of the armed services to become a member of. Was he in Top Gun school? No, was he Ironman’s wing man?, No, although I do hear he sings a pretty mean version of “you lost that loving feeling.” However his work on his computer in retrospect was just as important since it was his computer skills that allowed planes to get off the ground safely and efficiently. His story is probably one of the hardest I have ever had to write for the mere fact Jim is a very humble man, a down to earth man, a kind and generous man who prefers to keep his life simple and without accolades. While interviewing him trying to get copy points of exciting things that may have happened in his life there just wasn’t much to be told and if there was Jim certainly wasn’t going to let me in on it. Just like Jim this story is the prototypical ‘what you see, is what you get’ just as he is. There are no embellishments, no glorifying of his life, just the simple facts about a man who chooses to live his life as a person who only wants to do right by others without having people feel sorry for him. When asked what his hobbies were or his greatest plea-
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If I run out of food and no one could take me to the store for a few days I would use that as a really bad and unhealthy diet
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- Jim Batic
On our Way to the Holy Days Dennis Bratcher
As we approach the end of Lent and near Easter, some of you may be wondering where the time went. Lent should be a time of reflection, sacrifice and preparation for the coming of our Lord. If you haven’t stuck to what you gave up for Lent or maybe haven’t been as prayerful as you had wished, you can start now. One of the best things about our God is that He is a forgiving father. The following story is a breakdown of Holy Week, the most important time of our calendar year. I hope you all have a chance to enjoy Holy Week and have a
Happy Easter. The Days of Holy Week Holy Week is the last week of Lent, the week immediately preceding Easter or Resurrection Sunday. It is observed in many Christian churches as a time to commemorate and enact the suffering (Passion) and death of Jesus through various observances and services of worship. While some church traditions focus specifically on the events of the last week of Jesus’ life, many of the liturgies symbolize
Our Purpose: To Help the Homeless Learn How to Help Themselves
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