Last night I was NOT feeling it.
All I wanted to do was curl up in my warm bed and finish the novel I’m
reading. I didn’t want to venture into
the cold and summoning the energy to be “on” with a bunch of homeless guests and
volunteers seemed insurmountable.
All I wanted to do was curl up in my warm bed and finish the novel I’m
reading. I didn’t want to venture into
the cold and summoning the energy to be “on” with a bunch of homeless guests and
volunteers seemed insurmountable.
Despite my feelings responsibility won out and I attended
Fill-A-Belly. After grabbing some food I
sat down with a few guys who I hadn’t met.
In the dim light under the picnic awning conversation begin to flow. Both the guys I was sitting with used to have
long-term careers and ended up homeless after loosing their jobs. Ron (name
changed) spent his life teaching underprivileged kids in South Central LA. Since he was a young boy he dreamed about
teaching in poor areas and he was so happy to be working there.
Fill-A-Belly. After grabbing some food I
sat down with a few guys who I hadn’t met.
In the dim light under the picnic awning conversation begin to flow. Both the guys I was sitting with used to have
long-term careers and ended up homeless after loosing their jobs. Ron (name
changed) spent his life teaching underprivileged kids in South Central LA. Since he was a young boy he dreamed about
teaching in poor areas and he was so happy to be working there.
(All Photos in this blog are by Johnny Liao)
Then, they laid off thousands of teachers and Ron was one of the
unluckily ones. The districts targeted older employees. It was easier to bring
on younger people at cheaper prices than keep the more experienced
workers. Because of the layoff, Ron
ended up living in his car for months. Since car camping is illegal he moved
constantly; eight hours at one rest stop then a few hours at a park and on an
on. He lived his life like a fleeting criminal all because he didn’t have a
home. While Ron gracefully and
articulately shared his story I pulled my jacket tighter around me attempting
to keep the bitter cold out. It didn’t
work. I was freezing.
unluckily ones. The districts targeted older employees. It was easier to bring
on younger people at cheaper prices than keep the more experienced
workers. Because of the layoff, Ron
ended up living in his car for months. Since car camping is illegal he moved
constantly; eight hours at one rest stop then a few hours at a park and on an
on. He lived his life like a fleeting criminal all because he didn’t have a
home. While Ron gracefully and
articulately shared his story I pulled my jacket tighter around me attempting
to keep the bitter cold out. It didn’t
work. I was freezing.
Ron wasn’t bitter while talking about the injustices he faced on
a daily basis, just sad. The worst was when people treated him poorly like the
lady in charge of food stamps or the man preaching that he was a heathen
because he lived on the streets. Ron finally asked the lady, “Would you
treat me differently if you knew I was a teacher and have my degree?” She had forgotten that he was a human being
not just a homeless man.
a daily basis, just sad. The worst was when people treated him poorly like the
lady in charge of food stamps or the man preaching that he was a heathen
because he lived on the streets. Ron finally asked the lady, “Would you
treat me differently if you knew I was a teacher and have my degree?” She had forgotten that he was a human being
not just a homeless man.
After months of searching Ron got a job at the Dollar Store. The $8
an hour he makes isn’t enough to eat, but he has scraped everything together
and now rents a small studio bedroom. He thanks God every day for a roof over
his head and uses what little he has to help others. Right now his goal is to
move up at the Dollar Store and hopefully become a regional manager.
an hour he makes isn’t enough to eat, but he has scraped everything together
and now rents a small studio bedroom. He thanks God every day for a roof over
his head and uses what little he has to help others. Right now his goal is to
move up at the Dollar Store and hopefully become a regional manager.
After finishing a heaping plate of Mexican food, and wrapping up a tamale
for later, he thanked me profusely for Fill-A-Belly. He said, “We all look forward to Tuesday
nights. It’s so great to eat home cooked food together with nice people. I
can’t wait until things have progressed and I can help out with what you are
doing!”
for later, he thanked me profusely for Fill-A-Belly. He said, “We all look forward to Tuesday
nights. It’s so great to eat home cooked food together with nice people. I
can’t wait until things have progressed and I can help out with what you are
doing!”
Hearing these stories every week breaks my heart. I constantly
realize that the line between housed and homeless is precariously thin. Crawling into a warm bed in a heated house
every night is a huge blessing and that’s something I don’t ever want to forget.
realize that the line between housed and homeless is precariously thin. Crawling into a warm bed in a heated house
every night is a huge blessing and that’s something I don’t ever want to forget.
