Yesterday, I enjoyed the honor of speaking to a senior adult luncheon at Wilshire Baptist Church here in Dallas. My dear friend, Dr. George Mason serves the church as pastor, a position he has held for over two decades. I really respect the church and George. Wilshire is a great place and I always enjoy being there.
At the end of my presentation, during a short Q & A period, a woman stood up and, with tears in her voice, she told the group that her 41-year-old son, who had been homeless of several years, was now living in our housing at CityWalk@ Akard. She shared a bit of his struggle and her enduring concern for him. She told about how stable his life had become since moving into our housing. She informed the group that he was enrolled in community college and was training to be a paralegal. She was so grateful and her soul beamed through her words.
After we dismissed, a man approached me with tears in his eyes. He shared that he had lost his job, experienced health issues and became homeless over a period of time. He told me that he lived at CityWalk too. I was amazed to find people so close to us at this event.
I left feeling so good about our housing efforts. I also had another experience to share about the power, effectiveness and hope that accompanies the development of and access to Permanent Supportive Housing. The people who live in our building demonstrate what can happen when in lives when given a simple chance to begin again.
I pray the day will come when our city and its various neighborhoods come to understand the truth of what we're experiencing every day.
4 comments:
Reports like this inspire everyone. To me this is the very best part of what CDM does.
It does validate the work you do at CDM and it continues to reinforce the evidence that Permanent Supportive Housing changes lives - gives hope to those who have lived to long without it.
Wonderful!! Larry, I have often mentioned that one of your and CDM's best "marketing" tools is your continual putting a "face" on the those in need. Thanks for the story, but most of all, thanks for your continued work. This is a great work and I wish all could understand not only the positives that come to those in PSH, but the positives that accrue to the public as a whole as a result of PSH. God bless your efforts!
"Face" validity?
I'm crying, too! I must continue paying for my housing. And their's.
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