I had been taking my dad to Hardee’s for karaoke night, and realized that the church group regulars reacted negatively when a homeless person came in.
I started greeting each homeless person who came in. It was hard for me to sit with this group week after week, but my dad enjoyed it, and I enjoyed singing with him. I met a guy, Jeff, who lost his job and just got evicted, so I bought him dinner. The next time he came in, I again bought him dinner. One church member cautioned me – be careful he doesn’t steal your purse. Another said he has a cell phone, as if that was reason not to feed him. Another said – is he drinking? I would give a retort like – He needs his cell phone to make drug deals, or, I’d drink too if I were homeless. I wasted my breath trying to explain that not all homeless are lazy, and that there but for the grace of god…
This went on for a year – a homeless guy would come in to get warm, and I’d buy them dinner. Some of the righteous complained to management that they didn’t want the homeless eating there and they would get kicked out. I started feeling judgmental about these so-called Christians, and questioned my intentions, so I upped my game, and rather than just buy them dinner, I’d sit with them and listen to them, while they ate. The first guy I’d made friends with – Jeff – had been a welder, got injured, no insurance, no family, had no address to get benefits, and soon ended up selling drugs, and slept under the bridge on Loudon.
Eventually, one of the church elders came over and met Jeff and got to know him. The next time Jeff came in, this elder bought Jeff his dinner and sat with him. Over time, another church guy bought one of the other homeless men a meal. They stopped asking Hardee’s to kick them out.
I learned that writing a check to the Hope Center is one thing; buying a meal for a stranger is another; and sitting down to eat with a stranger and getting to know them is something that changes you.
Name: Sarah
Title: Retired Project Manager, Political Activist
Industry: Computer Technology
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