August 2022 Newsletter

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A Time Of Transition

Patrick is now completing a time of transition from being a devoted son, caring for his ailing father, to spending more time with his son and granddaughter. It started with a promise to his mother, before she passed away, that he would be a live-in caregiver for his father. Because of a genetic trait of having strokes, his father was not able to care for his own needs. For three years, Patrick lived in their home, waiting on him. He had a reprieve from the constant attendance and emotional strain, as well as an income, from a part-time job, cooking at a taco stand nearby. When his father passed away, Patrick needed some distance from the memory of the family home. The disposition of that house is still being decided by others. Patrick was homeless.

He moved in with a friend, located too far from his job to commute. However, the friend’s wife objected to him being there. After just three nights in their home, Patrick slept the next few nights on the street, behind a building on NE Stephens St. He immediately lined up a job interview, then waited for the day of that meeting, while still living outdoors. After the first interview, he got the job, then went to the Mission. Never before had he been to a homeless shelter. His evaluation of the new, temporary home was, “Its different than what I am used to. I have no problem following the rules. A lot of people shared their stories, and I have made friends here. Its all been a pretty good experience for me.” In the photo above, he is doing a chore of washing dishes after dinner here. He has been at his new employment position a few months, and things are going well for him there. He is saving money and is now on the Mission’s Transitional Housing Program waiting list. Of course, some of his earnings are going toward his new focus of building the relationships with his son and granddaughter.

“Without faith in the Lord, there is no hope.”

Going to church was a part of his upbringing, though attendance as an adult has been sporadic. Patrick said, “Chapels here are very interesting. There are stories out of the Bible applied to real life situations. They make me think about how I should be doing things and where I want to be in my life. I think about God a lot more here, especially since my parents passed. Because without faith in the Lord, there is no hope. I would not care.”

This is precisely what the Mission is about, providing genuine hope in a time of transition, when despair over the fragility of life can become overwhelming.