I've asked myself why that is the case.
Today, I believe I found my answer: raw, human need and desperation coupled with complete honesty, appreciation and love.
The number of men and women with whom I visited today overwhelmed me.
I noticed a common theme again in their requests of me:
"Where can I find work?"
"Where can I find a place to live?"
"May I have a bag of chips?"
"May I have a bottle of water?"
Two other almost universal observations:
Everyone took pride in their attire. One man apologized incessantly about how dirty his clothes were. And, he was careful to explain why. I mean, on the street and concerned for one's appearance. All of us want to do the best we can, don't we?
Everyone was glad to see me.
"Man, where you been?" was a common question, as I've been out of place the last two weeks.
"Man, the new place is lookin' good! When will it open?" people observed the Opportunity Center across the street.
I returned to my office for a meeting and a conference call wrung out with the emotion of the people, the people who call me to cut through the stupid, ill-informed barriers to a better way of responding to such overwhelming human need.
The touch, the words, the embraces, the smiles, the fist bumps of the people set me to dreaming about our next steps.
We need a business plan to start a company that employs these friends of mine. There is a wealth of ability, energy and resting capacity on this corner that needs to be unleashed in honest labor.
Stay tuned.
The world can change.
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