A Grace Filled Day

A couple of days ago, I had what I call a “grace” day at Hope House. What is a grace day, you might ask? I love my job so much because, hello, I get to give to those in need!!! How much more blessed than that can you get at work? At any rate, a “grace” day is one in which the rewards are particularly obvious. Here are the rewards I received the other day:

·         First in was a young woman who has not been here for a couple of years. She could be my daughter, and her story was so sad. She has gone from being housed with her husband and children to being homeless and alone. She cried and said it hurt to be here when the last time she was in, she was so much happier. I can tell she is working on getting back to that life, but she told me that our support has always been vital to her and her family.

·         A regular client brought in a t-shirt with a beautiful faith message printed on the front—he said the message described me for him! So sweet.

·          A man fresh out of prison was so incredibly grateful for new clothing and hygiene items to start his job search.

·         And finally, there was Gracie. An adorable, intelligent and articulate little 4 year old charmer. She absolutely brought sunshine into Hope House. Gracie lives in a car with her mom and dad, who are keeping things bright for her while they find work.

All in all, a wonderful, fulfilling day at Hope House! As I always say—I love my job!

Little Things....

I can’t believe it has been almost a year since we opened in our beautiful new building! This place has been a blessing to so many people in our community, and so much of what we do is dependent on the support of our wonderful part of the world.

Sometimes it is one of the little things we do that causes the most joy to one of our clients. For instance, we allow homeless individuals to have their mail sent here until they find housing. Many of them are expecting new ID cards, birth certificates, etc., so this is a worthwhile service, no matter how much of a hassle it can be (some people only check their mail once every 6 months or so!). At least once per week, you can hear me threatening to discontinue this program due to the time it takes.

But then, you get a day like today. I was swamped with work on my computer, many voices calling my name for questions, etc.---in other words; a typical Friday! When a small, quiet young woman came to my office door to ask if she had any mail, I sighed and started searching through the stack. When I found the one, hand written envelope with her name on it, she teared up and held it close to her chest. Turns out her husband is in jail, and she is homeless herself—the only way he can communicate with her is through the letters he sends to her care of Hope House. She is so appreciative, and I am so contrite to realize how much something that irritates me just makes her day.

The little things—or maybe not so little?