Miracle Runners

Sarah Brewster is currently serving as a second year Jesuit Volunteer/AmeriCorps member in Portland, Oregon, as the Recreation Coordinator at the Volunteers of America (VoA) Men’s Residential Center (MRC). 

The first of many race medals for MRC client Mike.

When I first arrived at the Volunteers of America Men’s Residential Center, I could never have imagined what scheduling recreations like laser tag, pottery painting, and kayaking could hold for our clients. At the MRC, recreation is still considered treatment time; a time for clients to re-engage in activities, hobbies, and interests that they may have lost sight of in their addiction and/or never had the opportunity to explore because of life circumstances. Yet, to get a group of 20 or 30 people excited about the same thing can be a tough deal, especially when trying to get them to step into something new and unfamiliar. But I found solace and, at times, sanity in the recreation outings; they became rich opportunities to get to know the clients outside of a regular treatment setting.

In January, we had a small, but avid, group of runners in house. For these clients, running was becoming part of their treatment program and daily self-care. They started to log some serious miles, and one even took social passes to get in longer runs. I had started planning my own summer race schedule, and figured I would look into registering a few of the guys in some upcoming races. What began with a few hopeful emails has snowballed into an incredible story of resilience, inspiration, hope, and utter steadfastness.

At the end of January, I officially received confirmation from AA Sports that all the race entry fees would be waived for two of our clients and one of our staff members to compete in the Heartbreak Half and 10K races on February 9th. I had modest expectations for our two client runners, and, more than anything, was hoping for a positive first race experience.

Upon my return, the Monday after the race, I was greeted by absolute exuberance and glee as I received a minute by minute recounting of the race. I knew these guys could do it and do it well, but I was still captivated, moved, and awed by the embodiment of their success. For our two client runners, this race held great significance, measure, and accomplishment. And for one, this race was going to be the beginning of something truly spectacular. Ten months prior to the Heartbreaker Half, Mike was living on the streets, in despair, and in the depths of his heroin addiction. At mile 9 of the half, Mike paced out with his fellow miracle runner: a woman who had had surgery a year prior and was told she was never going to be able to run again. And yet, at mile 9, she was there. And so was he. 

When Mike crossed the finish line, he had no idea how he had done. The important thing was that he had finished, and that he felt good about it. After a finish line reunion with his fellow miracle runner and her supporters, Mike awaited the reunion with his MRC running mates. He searched for his name and number to find his finish time, but it wasn’t posted yet. It wasn’t until the times were posted online that Mike was able to discover just how well he had done. What he found completely blew him (and all of us) away. He had run his first half marathon in 1:38:12, an average mile of 7:29. He placed third in his age group and his overall finish was 56th of 474 runners. Even more remarkable, Mike had quit smoking, a half pack a day habit, four days before the race.

Overflowing with appreciation, Mike contacted AA Sports to express his gratitude for the opportunity and experience. Lynne Sanders, the Director of Sales and Marketing at AA Sports and who had made the race registrations possible, was profoundly moved and inspired by Mike’s story, graciousness, and victory. She sent Mike his finisher’s medal for placing in his age group, and also informed him that, with his permission and willingness, she wanted to share his story with an editor at RaceCenter NW. She also notified Mike that AA Sports would like to offer him entry into a few of their upcoming races including the Spring Classic Duathlon, the My First Tri, and the PAC Crest Olympic Triathlon.

In addition to his treatment responsibilities, which at the time included finding a job, Mike drafted a letter asking for bike and equipment donations so that he could compete in the upcoming races. A taxing and emotional experience, he struggled to find a bike shop that would listen to his story. Unable to definitively secure his own bike, Mike rented a bike for the Duathlon the day before the race.

On March 30th, Mike completed the Spring Classic Duathlon, a 15 mile bike ride sandwiched by two 5K runs, in 1:28:32, and placed 12th of the 23 men in his age group. Again, Mike had impressive splits: his first 5K he completed in 18:42, the bike in 46:23, and the second 5K in 21:22. Even with the struggle and stress, Mike showed up, completed, and was victorious.

Big things were falling into place; Mike completed a half marathon, interviewed with RaceCenter NW magazine (his story is expected to be in a summer edition), reconnected with family estranged through his addiction, secured a good job, and completed a Duathlon. Overwhelmed and amazed, Mike remained grounded in grace and gratitude. Seeking opportunity to give back and show appreciation, Mike ran in a Boston Marathon solidarity run on April 15^th with fellow Portland runners.

Mike, and the owners of Athlete’s Lounge, with his new bike.

Today, Mike is working full-time, completing his aftercare, staying grounded in his recovery program, and training hard. He remains closely connected to Lynne, who has become one of his biggest champions and supporters. Through her, Mike was connected to Tri Pacific Coaching and a triathlon coach, and through that connection, Mike was donated a race bike from Athlete’s Lounge, a local triathlon shop.  And as if this hasn’t snowballed enough, Mike was just informed that he will be donated a brand new wetsuit, from ProMotion Wetsuits, for his upcoming triathlons.

One afternoon Mike came into my office and I expected to hear more excitement from training successes and new gear, but he greeted me with a longer, more emotional pause. He had been entrusted with keys to the restaurant where he works; his first keys to anything in years. For Mike, it symbolized a kind of rebirth into life.

For this moment and the daily moments at the MRC, I am honored to be the Recreation Coordinator; to witness the greatness of recovery and re-discovery and to be reminded of strength, spirit, and the human capacity for change and growth. And the greatest gift is not being able to witness it for myself, but the opportunity to observe the clients realize it in and for themselves; to watch them hold it, be inspired, motivated, and moved by who they are and have the potential to be.

AmeriCorps Assistant Visits New Avenues

This week, we have a post from Hilary Titus, the Administrative assistant for AmeriCorps for JVC Northwest.

In the fall, I had a chance to get out of the office and shadow JV AmeriCorps member Connie Humann at her placement New Avenues for Youth in Portland, OR. New Avenues provides homeless and at-risk youth a range of services aimed to transition youth to permanent housing and future stability. They engage, educate, and empower youth to see the hope and possibilities their lives hold for them. During my visit, I learned how New Avenues serves youth at every stage along the path, from those they describe as street-entrenched, to those enrolled in college courses and transitioning into permanent housing. At every level, New Avenues attempts to engage youth to take each individual step towards realizing their potential and achieving the stability necessary to reach that potential.

As the Education Day Services Assistant at New Avenues, Connie primarily serves with the youth during both drop-in hours and tutoring. We spent drop-in hours engaging street-entrenched youth. As Connie gets to know the youth and they seem ready, she points them towards goals in education and job training. Every day, she invites youth to join in the education programming, and when they do come to education hours, Connie serves as a tutor for a wide variety of education needs. That morning we helped a young man make a plan to finish his GED and a young woman study for her math placement exam at Portland Community College. From GED prep, to college homework, and job-related reading and math skills, Connie is there to provide individualized attention and help the youth reach their goals.

As a reminder of all that has been accomplished by the youth, the walls of the tutoring room prominently display the names of those who have earned their GED this year, as well as boards charting the progress of youth as they pass tests on their way to earning their GED. Blank sticky notes denote which of the five subject tests each student has passed. One student has proudly written in his high and perfect scores onto his passing sticky notes.

As a “behind-the-scenes” player in the mission of JVC Northwest, it was so inspiring to see Connie’s passion and dedication to the progress of the youth she serves. The education team at New Avenues is determined to provide any youth desiring it the space, support, and the tools necessary to make positive steps towards stable and hopeful futures.

Good Apples in Wenatchee, WA

JV AmeriCorps member Alicia Bissonnette serves as Case Manager Assistant at the Women’s Resource Center – The Bruce, in Wenatchee, WA. She shares her experience of service alongside fellow AmeriCorps members in the “Apple Capital of the World.”

Wenatchee is a beautiful, small city on the eastern side of Washington, known for its wineries and its apples. When you enter the city on highway 97, you are greeted with two signs. The first is a neon, apple-shaped beacon, hailing you in with the promise of being in “The Apple Capital of the World.” The second sign, in my opinion, is much more telling of Wenatchee’s true nature. It reads: “Wenatchee: Meeting Rivers, Meeting Friends, Meeting Needs.” This is why the Wenatchee community thrives. We are surrounded by people who are aching to be the change they want to see in the world. We are connected to a network of people who want to make Wenatchee a better place by meeting needs.

The Wenatchee JV AmeriCorps community hiking at Saddlerock.

In our little community near the foothill Castlerock, Monica, Jordan and I began to note, as early as September, that Wenatchee- though it is small for a city- has a large amount of non-profit agencies focused on social change. Monica serves as a legal assistant at the Northwest Justice Project, where she coordinates office outreach efforts and engages with the local, migrant farmworker community. Jordan is the Program Assistant at Catholic Family and Child Services, spear-heading a free day care that assists parents in learning the art of “play”- Play and Learn. She also co-facilitates the Valley Intervention Program, where her team works with parents and their children who have exhibited extreme behavioral issues. I serve with Bruce Transitional Housing, part of Wenatchee’s Women’s Resource Center. The Bruce is a housing unit that works with women, children, and persons with disabilities as they develop individualized programs to get themselves back on their feet. I act as a Case Manager, doing client intake, facilitating meetings, and helping to assist in the day-to-day adventures the Bruce faces. Monica, Jordan and I have realized that we share clients. I often refer my residents to Jordan’s site for counseling, and both Jordan’s and my clients have utilized NJP, where Monica’s site supervisors specialize in housing and employment justice.

The connections do not stop there. In November, one of our support members mentioned that an Inter-Mountain AmeriCorps member she knew was hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for service members in the area who were far from home and in need of a little (tofu) turkey. Our small Thanksgiving-day dinner group soon evolved into a large social network of AmeriCorps friends. Monica, Jordan and I began to see just how many young, energized and strong individuals there were in the Wenatchee social sector. Since our serendipitous meeting, we have begun to attend each other’s events, being a physical representation of “meeting friends” and “meeting needs.” We even “met the river” to support the Special Olympics by participating in their event, The Polar Bear Plunge. Our group, the AmeriPlungers, raised awareness for the Olympic Games we were volunteering for by running in our shorts and bathing suits into the freezing Columbia River in February. It may be April, but it’s safe to say this JV AmeriCorps member is still a little chilly!

A reminder for the Good Morning Club at the Bruce.

Life as an AmeriCorps member isn’t just fun and games, however. At my placement site, I manage and work with people in recovery from addictions, domestic violence survivors, people with mental illness, and people coping with the reality that they no longer have a place they can call home. To lighten the mood and to remind our residents that every day deserves gratitude, the Bruce has implemented a daily meeting Monday through Thursday at 8am called Good Morning Club, or GMC. I facilitate this building-wide meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays. We use this time to read daily AA and inspirational readings, tell jokes or share poetry, and—my favorite—check in. Check-in consists of residents stating their name, room number, say on a scale of 1 to 10 how they are feeling, and something that they are grateful for. Some days I am surprised by what they say, but there are a few core things I will always hear: “I’m thankful for my family, my sobriety, and the program at the Bruce.” They are learning- and I am learning through community- how important it is to be held accountable and to hold people you care about accountable for their actions. That is how we grow.

JV AmeriCorps members Alicia, Monica, and Jordan snowshoeing at Mission Ridge.

Wenatchee is a small city with a big heart. In my time here, I’ve learned so much about the art of giving and receiving, the problems with privilege, and the deep joy in having the ability to share my revelations with a community, both big and small. We might not have the biggest buildings, but we have some good apples doing some great service. I’d even dare say we’re the Apple Capital of the World.

Mayors Day of Recognition 2013

This year, 832 mayors across the nation stood up to support National Service on April 9th, the First Annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service.

Mayors recognized all that National Service members do to build healthy, thriving communities in their cities, from rural to urban, in every corner of the country.

In Missoula, Montana, Mayor John Engen highlighted the YWCA of Missoula, where we have TWO JV AmeriCorps members AND a former JV AmeriCorps member serving the community of Missoula.

Sitka Goes Hiking

Courtney Bobsin serves as a JV AmeriCorps member in Sitka, AK with the Sitka Conservation Society. She shares a story of JV AmeriCorps collaboration with her housemate and fellow JV AmeriCorps member Nick Ponzetti, an Independent Living Specialist with Southeast Alaska Independent Living.

Courtney joined Nick for one of Southeast Alaska Independent Living”s monthly hikes to share with hikers about the role, history, and wonders of the Tongass National Forest.

Sitka, a small fishing town in the middle of Southeast Alaska, is surrounded by pristine forests and beautiful Pacific waters. It sits in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, the largest temperate rainforest in the world. As a JV AmeriCorps member, I serve with the Sitka Conservation Society (SCS). At the Sitka Conservation Society, one of our goals is to engage people in the community with the Tongass. My role at SCS is to help foster a sense of community and help teach people to live with the land. I do this through many avenues including leading Alaska Way of Life 4H club or teaching students the importance of supporting local fishing systems through our Fish to Schools Program.

In January, recognizing a unique opportunity, I was able to partner with my housemate, Nick Ponzetti, the JV AmeriCorps member at Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL). Among other services, SAIL offers a monthly hiking club for seniors to help get them on the trails, experience Sitka’s wilderness, and promote an active lifestyle. Guest hikers, such as injury and fall prevention experts, naturalists, and local tour guides often join Nick on the hikes. I connected with the club as a guest hiker and talked with hikers about features of the Tongass, the history of the forest, and the way we have shaped our landscape. I tried to answer any other questions hikers had including questions on identifying plants, birds, and wild edibles. It was a great experience to share the knowledge I have learned with others in the community.

Furthermore, it was a new opportunity to create a partnership between our organizations. Drawing from both our strengths, Nick and I were able to accomplish much more for older people in Sitka than we could have on our own. My knowledge surrounding conservation in the Tongass, and Nick’s concern for independent living added value to the experience for all those involved.  Through this collaboration, both organizations were able to address needs of the community; SAIL promoted an opportunity to get seniors active and socially engaged, while the Sitka Conservation Society built community and connected people to the Tongass. As JV AmeriCorps members, Nick and I helped construct a beneficial partnership which may have otherwise never existed. Record numbers showed up for our collaborative hike, showing how the goals of any one organization are important, but we can build a stronger community when we work together.

Being There for Youth in Yakima

Julia Krolikowski serves as a JV AmeriCorps member in Yakima, WA with the Yakima Family YMCA. She shares about the important impact of presence in the lives of youth.

“Julia! I know I can’t come back until April, but I just have to tell you,” excitedly shouts the 11 year old boy from the doors of the youth room at the Yakima Family YMCA. As he takes a breath from all the excitement, I reply with, “My goodness! What?” And with the enthusiasm of an Olympic champion, he says, “I got a 125% on my reading test today! That’s the best I’ve ever done!”

JV AmeriCorps member Juila Krolikowski with youth at the Y.

My heart broke that afternoon. All I could do during that brief moment of celebration was share in the excitement, and give him a double high five and say how proud of him I was. A few days prior, this young boy was suspended for a few weeks because of disruptive behavior. He’s what we classify in our programs as a youth at high risk of gang involvement. He is also one of the regulars in the youth room who prefer to be at the Y than in their own homes.

Serving at the Yakima Family YMCA in the youth room and ASPIRE mentoring program has allowed me to see the impact a community can make on youth. It is not instant, and it takes years to see the full effects. Many of the youth I serve have grown up at the Yakima Family YMCA, and the Y is their community, their support, their family, and without the Y, they would be lost.

In Yakima, the average age for youth to join gangs is in 3^rd and 4^th grade, and the youth room and ASPIRE attempt to fight the peer pressure of gangs. The youth room serves children 7-15 who are simply looking for a fun place to go after school. The ASPIRE program matches youth 8-13 with mentors who serve as the big brothers and sisters. In their 1:1 matches, the adults support the youth as best they can through listening, being available, and providing new experiences for the youth. If these kids have someone there for them, the likelihood of them joining a gang significantly decreases.  Studies have shown that kids who have mentors are less likely to be involved in crime, gangs, violence, do better in school, and are able to better socialize with peers.

Julia keeping things entertaining at the Yakima Family YMCA!

These kids don’t need ipods, the newest Nikes, giant sound systems for TVs—they need someone who will listen, say, “I’m proud of you,” spend time with them, and show them that they matter. The least I can do is come up with some activities for mentors and mentees to do together, provide some guidance to the mentors on youth psychology, and check in with mentors. The least I can do is make popcorn and provide activities for the Y’s youth room. These kids just want someone who cares. And my position allows me to provide that. I help kids build on their self-esteem, and when they have self-esteem, it is much easier for them to avoid all the negative pressures around them and break the cycle of gangs, poverty, and crime in which they are surrounded.

34 Million Refugees, One at a Time

Shane Young is serving his second year as a JV AmeriCorps member in Gresham, OR, as a Refugee Advocate for the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program.

34 Million. That is an immense number when you think about it. 34 Million of anything is a lot. However, what if the 34 Million are people, human beings displaced from their countries and homelands. 34 Million is the latest number of “registered” refugees in the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) database. Why is registered in quotations? More and more refugees flee their homes each and every day. As the number of conflicts around the world increases, the number of safe havens for people to flee decreases. They run into jungles to escape persecution. They hop on boats and trains to get as far away as possible. They do anything to survive. Under these circumstances, it’s easy to see why huge numbers of them are never registered by the UN. The ones who have been fortunate enough to make it to the United States are my clients. As a JV AmeriCorps member, I serve as a refugee advocate. Welcome to the world of Refugee Resettlement.

I often wonder what they went through to get here. The process is long and often broken, but it is what we have, and we do our best to help as many as possible. Most US citizens have never been in the situation of our refugees, and I hope none of us ever will be. No one wants to be a refugee, but for some it is the only option. It is a choice between something horrific and something else. Although my clients are quiet about what they have been through, often times they will have conversations about what has happened in their attempts at a better life. To be brief their stories have often included some of the following:

• Witnessing the death or murder of family, friends and loved ones.
• Living in very minimal conditions with no running water or food for days on end -refugee camps often provide very minimal in terms of shelter or food, that is if they make it there in good health.
• Rape, abuse and torture from those who are persecuting them.
• The pain of waiting, waiting for an answer, any answer.

You can see the pain and suffering in their eyes. Nevertheless, they smile. No matter what barrier we have to cross, whether it is racial, cultural, and lingual or some other, they smile. Due to all of the smiling, I have developed an immense amount of humility. I have never seen people be as humble as the refugees I have had the privilege of serving. Water, juice, fruit, tea, you name it and they will offer it to you. Their kind words and actions pierce even the hardest of hearts.

Throughout my service, I have been shopping for clothes without speaking Arabic. I have applied for Social Security cards without speaking Somali. I have been to Winco to go grocery shopping without speaking Dzongkha (Bhutanese). In my service as a refugee advocate, I accompany these newly arriving refugees and make their transition into our country as easy as possible. Many times easier said than done, however, often just joining them for tea eases their minds to a time when life was a little easier.

44 Million.  44 million is the estimated number of refugees in the world. That means there are an estimated 10 million refugees who the UNHCR has no contact with. This fight of resettling one of the world’s most poor and marginalized populations has been going for almost 70 years. Nonetheless, we settle people and families one at a time, and we smile and stay humble, for they are teaching us more than we could ever know about survival and the love of one another as humans, without boundaries, without judgment. Love.

AmeriCorps Week 2013: Impact Map

AmeriCorps Week 2013: Superstorm Sandy Relief

Disasters:  From forest fires and floods, to hurricanes and tornadoes, AmeriCorps members have provided critical support to millions of Americans affected by disasters since 1994.

This AmeriCorps Week is highlighting the relief efforts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy to demonstrate the key role that AmeriCorps members play in rebuilding communities struck by natural disasters. JV AmeriCorps members serving with the American Red Cross of Alaska in Anchorage build local capacity for disaster response and can deploy to relief efforts around the nation. Mary Rae Staples is serving her JV AmeriCorps year as the Preparedness Specialist for the Red Cross in Anchorage, AK. She shares her inspiring reflection of the two weeks she spent in New Jersey alongside other service members and the local community as part of relief after Superstorm Sandy. 

As a JV AmeriCorps member, I am serving at the American Red Cross of Alaska as the Preparedness Specialist. Not only am I fulfilling my desire to complete a year of service, but I also have been granted the opportunity to be a part of a national organization that greatly values its national service members and volunteers. The American Red Cross operates with 96% service members and volunteers and 4% staff, meaning the organization would not be able to touch so many lives without the those who serve and volunteer.  This reliance was even more apparent to me after my Red Cross deployment to Superstorm Sandy Recovery. In January 2013, my placement in Alaska offered me the chance to travel to New Jersey for two weeks and volunteer with the largest U.S. disaster response by the Red Cross in more than five years. At this point, it had been almost three months since the storm destroyed hundreds of thousands of people’s homes. Over 17,000 trained volunteers from all across the country, including some I met from Canada and the Virgin Islands, were mobilized to serve meals, distribute relief items and clean-up kits, provide health services and emotional support, shelter, and continue individual casework. Through the Red Cross’ partnerships with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other organizations providing relief, such as Catholic Charities, we were able to care for family and individual needs.

I felt highly privileged to be a part of this National Service effort. Almost every day in Anchorage, I serve clients that have been displaced by a disaster, most commonly a single-family fire, and to see how the operation works in a large-scale disaster response was inspiring. When I arrived, many of the immediate emergency needs like food, shelter, clothing, and comfort had been provided and the Red Cross was moving into their long-term recovery efforts. I directly served clients who had been staying in FEMA paid hotels since Sandy hit. While there, they were working on putting the pieces back together, whether that be rebuilding their home, collecting insurance money, relocating to other cities, finding new jobs because the storm left them unemployed, or finding an apartment and furniture. A team of us collaborated to meet with the clients, determine their needs, create a plan, follow-up, and provide financial assistance for all of the above. Specifically, many of the clients I met were assisted with funds for rent, security deposits, furniture, and moving costs.

The Red Cross and other organizations will be active in Superstorm Sandy Recovery for the next two years at least. I was extremely proud to be a JV AmeriCorps member serving in this National Service effort, especially when almost everyone’s response to me identifying as an AmeriCorps member was “I love AmeriCorps!” They continued to tell me how every AmeriCorps member they encountered either on relief efforts or within local Red Cross chapters was uniquely bright, energized, and hardworking. They were even more impressed that I was from Alaska! The impact that Mother Nature can impose on this world is incredible, but having the support to rejuvenate – fiscally, physically, and emotionally – is almost more impactful. I continue to be amazed with the service that national service members and volunteers provide, as well as the contributions from donors. This effort was truly a national outpouring and has inspired in me an enduring commitment to the national service of the American Red Cross.

AmeriCorps Week 2013: Caring for Our Veterans

Veterans and Military Families:  AmeriCorps supports the military community by engaging veterans in service, helping veterans readjust to civilian life, and providing support to military families.

This AmeriCorps Week, the Corporation for National and Community Service is highlighting the service that AmeriCorps members do with our nation’s veterans. Today we hear from JV AmeriCorps member Peter Grunert, Operations Supervisor with the House of Charity, a 53 plus-years-in-operation, multi-service, 108 bed homeless shelter that provides basic survival services as well as a medical clinic in Spokane, WA. Peter shares a story of a few of the many veterans involved with and served by the House of Charity every day.

JV AmeriCorps Members help sort through necessity items like socks to help keep away the cold.

It was late afternoon and I was checking that evening’s weather report. Winter had just arrived in Spokane, and temperatures had been dropping dangerously low; I was worried about how our clients would handle the cold. As I looked up from my computer, I noticed an elderly man approaching the front desk. He appeared confused and worried. “Do you have any place to stay the night?” I asked. Speaking with him, I began to realize the seriousness of his predicament. He had run out of places to turn. If we were unable to help him, he would be forced to spend the night outside in the frigid cold, and I was not sure he would survive a night like that.

At that moment, another client, John, approached our newcomer and quickly helped him understand what services the House of Charity would offer. John explained how he lived alone on the streets just a year earlier. Now, he said, he was living in his own apartment. He attributed much of his success to the support he received from the House of Charity staff: “The staff here is special,” he said. The conversation continued and we were able to lay out a plan for how we could help our new client. I would not have been able to do that without John’s help. Later that evening, I approached John and asked him how he was able to connect so easily with the new client. He said that they had a common experience that, in so many ways, shaped who they were, a shared history that required him to go out of his way to help. He said that they were both veterans.

JV AmeriCorps members John (third from right) and Peter (far right), spending time with some House of Charity clients.

Six months into my service at the House of Charity, I am beginning to fully appreciate just how many veterans we serve. And, more than anything else, I am beginning to understand how heavily their military service weighs on them. Almost without exception, the veterans we serve are struggling with the emotional and physical trauma they experienced while at war. It is a foundational cause of their mental health and substance abuse problems. And it is, in large part, a cause of their homelessness. Each day at the shelter, I walk with these veterans as they struggle to obtain duly earned veterans benefits, assistance, and basic survival services. I listen as they tell me about how they feel abandoned and lonely. Amid all of the hardship, however, I hear them also say that the House of Charity makes them feel worthy of love, that we offer them the chance to experience real human connection once again.

In fact, I have come to realize that as much as veterans need medical care, case management services, and mental health counseling, what they need as much as anything else is a place where they can once again feel cared for and valued. That is exactly what I saw when I witnessed John go out of his way to make our new client feel comfortable at the House of Charity. He reminded this new client that the community at the House of Charity would go out of its way to make him feel at home. And as John told the new client, that type of service made all the difference in his ability to get back to self-sufficiency. My only hope is that the House of Charity will be able to continue to serve the homeless population of Spokane, Washington in the unique way that it does—with love, compassion, and respect for each individual’s special value.