When I first came to Charlotte I met a woman who had escaped her kidnappers and was living on the streets of Charlotte. I spoke to her and developed a friendship. occasionally I was able to help her. Knowing this woman and her struggle has made me see that alot of things could be fixed with a little knowledge of where and how to get help. She is now in an apartment waiting on disability. she has changed me in the fact that she always would smile and appreciate the little help i could give her. I no longer strive for things in life. I realize people are what matter
My list of such enlightening intersections is endless.
One encounter I had near the start of the Speak Up journey was with a man who came to sell magazines. He said that he'd been homeless for four years, and that he had been looking for something like this. "I just want to work," he said.
He was hungry for the opportunity offered. He's spend weekdays and weekends out selling copies of Speak Up magazine, and was quickly able to work himself out of homelessness.
He proved to me over and over that the stereotype about people in his situation, that they would prefer "handouts" for their livelihood, was decidedly false.
He was energetic, positive, and had a glass-half-full response for every setback.
He is one of many, but that early encounter really helped break down the subtle lie that un-housed people are somehow different from those with addresses. They aren't. We are all just people.
When I first came to Charlotte I met a woman who had escaped her kidnappers and was living on the streets of Charlotte. I spoke to her and developed a friendship. occasionally I was able to help her. Knowing this woman and her struggle has made me see that alot of things could be fixed with a little knowledge of where and how to get help. She is now in an apartment waiting on disability. she has changed me in the fact that she always would smile and appreciate the little help i could give her. I no longer strive for things in life. I realize people are what matter
Wow! Thanks for sharing this powerful snapshot of someone who clearly had a profound impact.
My list of such enlightening intersections is endless.
One encounter I had near the start of the Speak Up journey was with a man who came to sell magazines. He said that he'd been homeless for four years, and that he had been looking for something like this. "I just want to work," he said.
He was hungry for the opportunity offered. He's spend weekdays and weekends out selling copies of Speak Up magazine, and was quickly able to work himself out of homelessness.
He proved to me over and over that the stereotype about people in his situation, that they would prefer "handouts" for their livelihood, was decidedly false.
He was energetic, positive, and had a glass-half-full response for every setback.
He is one of many, but that early encounter really helped break down the subtle lie that un-housed people are somehow different from those with addresses. They aren't. We are all just people.