Robert was on the mend…
He was trying to get out of the dirt… Making his way out of homelessness… On the street he was approached by by two men who were trying to rob him. Robert held them off and quickly called the police. When the police arrived they looked at ID's and found that Robert had an outstanding warrant out of Knoxville. The warrant was for a robbery that occurred while Robert was locked up some 5 years ago. He was arrested on the spot - Locked up for 14 days - then transported to Knoxville where he was held for 19 days. After 33 days he went before the judge who saw the mistake and released him immediately. He was transported back to Nashville and dumped on the streets. No money - no food - nothing. This is yet another example of the pathway to prison the men and women on the street are faced with every day. In bad weather, people on the streets look for shelter - be it a vacant building or a church doorway - think about what you would do to keep warm and dry. We all watch the popular TV show - Survivor - We see the game played for a prize of a million dollars. The people on our streets are not playing a game for money - they are playing the game of life and trying to survive. Consider this. You wake up in the morning and go to the kitchen and fix breakfast. Usually anything you want. Fresh orange juice,.. some scrambled eggs with bacon… At lunch you eat out or have a sack lunch… And dinner? Again eat out or stay in… After dinner you curl up on your sofa and read a book or watch a movie or TV. Our homeless friends wake up in the morning hungry… There is no lunch… If they have a meal it might be one that they have to walk for miles to one of the many feeding places for the homeless… - some simply don't have the strength to walk miles. They go out and panhandle trying to get enough for a burger at Mc Donalds or even a few things at Kroger... They can't store food as it simply goes bad after a day in their back pack. Add the element of addiction and those slaved to it's grip, spend their money on booze and drugs. Wow! I'm getting down just writing this… There are two things that I have found to be the positive when working in such sadness… First it is the power of our God stepping into the lives of these people captive on the streets of our cities. So who will tell them about this God we say we believe in? Do we believe He can change lives" Do we actively tell others about the God of creation? Do we Really Believe that the faith of a mustard seed can move mountains? It it takes that little faith - think about how easy it must be to have the faith to help a human move out of the dirt into a new life off the streets. Second - It takes people. People to Pray - People to Volunteer - People to Give. When a person takes the hand of another person and helps them - The power of two is amazing. I suspect that is why God created male and female… Why Jesus sent out disciples in groups of two… Most of the people we serve on the streets are the ones who fall through the cracks… They have lost hope and see no end to their homelessness. When a person like you or me enters their world with hope… they respond… When we build trust… they listen… When we take their hand… they bond… and when they bond they are ready for the help that they need. So… Back to Robert's story… He was dumped back to the streets of Nashville and again was homeless. He had absolutely nothing… Nothing that is - except for the Volunteers of The Project Nashville who found him emergency housing thanks to Room in the Inn, Who fed him for a week and helped him get around town. On his own, Robert found a Half Way House to move into after a week at RII One week later landed a good job in his field of carpentry, After two days on the job he was recommended to become a foreman for the company. The one thing that makes Robert unique in the homeless world is that he has a great attitude, doesn't blame others, picks himself up when down. and doesn't expect a hand out. He is addressing his addiction and going to "meetings" every week. Robert is doing all the right things. Robert has his issues but don't we all… He is out of the dirt and we all celebrate his success!!! Because of our Volunteers we were able to offer assistance to Robert with a Hand Up instead of a Hand Out. Thank all of you who helped Robert.
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JR DaviswalTActivists for homeless - inmates and the poor of this world.
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