Keeping It Positive

This week R.O.C. members were given this question to answer:

“What are some positive, uplifting, good news stories of experiences you have had while doing this work?”

There are plenty of negative, sad, and bleak aspects of this work that we can focus on. That also seems to be the majority of what is highlighted in these posts. So we wanted to keep things positive on this one!

Many ROC members struggled with coming up with these types of stories. It is a struggle because usually outreach workers don’t get to see that side of someone experiencing homelessness’s story. By the time the story turns positive and full of good news, they are no longer living within the realm of where ROC members work and operate. This is something as a cooperative that we are currently recognizing. We are having conversations around how to create and be a part of more opportunities for us as frontline workers to see and be encouraged by the positive outcomes that do occur from this work.

Here are a few of those stories:

“The very first person I housed was an 18-year-old kid. He was on 11th Street, and I was tasked with finding the young man and doing an assessment on him. He didn’t want to talk to me or my colleagues, and we had to make multiple attempts to get him to open up and tell us his story.

Eventually we signed him up for housing and got him into the program. I did post housing with him to make sure he was comfortable and on the path of self-sufficiency.

I ran into him at Wendy’s 6 months ago, and he looked very happy. He told me he was working and got his own place. I was very happy for him.

I saw him again 2 weeks ago at the same Wendy’s. I said hello, and he handed me my drink. He stopped and said: “Hey man… I just want to say this. When you first met me… I didn’t have anything. I wasn’t anything. And now I am working, I have my own place…. I actually have my life together… and I owe that all to you. So thank you.”

It took everything in me not to break down crying in that moment. I can’t tell you how proud I am to see him working and finally taking control of his life. He is no longer that scared little boy from 11th Street. He is confident and full of life.”

- Jocelyn Simpson - Outreach Specialist for The Salvation Army

“It is encouraging to get a call from someone you assisted with getting into housing almost a year ago. And when they call, they are asking you for advice on how to help one of their friends who is still experiencing homelessness.” -Joe Brackett- Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

“My heart is full knowing that one of my former clients who is now housed is being considered to be a member of the governance board at my agency.” -Joe Brackett- Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

“I got to see a couple that has been housed for a while now, and they look so much more healthy. They have put on weight. And they have been able to more easily and effectively access medical care that they need.” -Joe Brackett Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

“It was so cool getting a call the other day from someone I didn’t remember but remembered me from the time that they were experiencing homelessness about 5 years ago. They were calling to say that she and another lady from her church were looking to start a ministry at their church to assist the homeless population and wanted to know from me what might be the most helpful way to go about starting that.” -Joe Brackett- Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

“I teared up a couple weeks ago when I got a call while out on outreach from a former client of mine. I had to tell them I couldn’t really talk right then, because I was in the middle of a camp. They responded by saying that they understood, and that they loved me, and that they were still loving their apartment. It felt great being able to say back to them that I loved them too and that I was glad they were no longer out in a camp like the one I was currently standing in.”-Joe Brackett- Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

“It was nothing short of a miracle that we were able to get this one client into rehab this week. We had been trying all week long, and they kept changing their mind on what day they wanted to go. Finally on the third attempt we were able to get them over to NuStart so that they could be transported out of town to the rehab facility they would be going to. On the way over to NuStart, the client spoke about how their mother had gone through the same struggles of being homeless and being an addict. They said that they wanted to break that cycle for the sake of the child they are currently expecting. I was able to tell them that they are strong enough to break that cycle and that by getting in the van that day, they were showing that strength. After getting to NuStart, they revealed to the workers there that they had it set in their mind that if I didn’t show up to their camp by 10am, they were going to go get drugs and get high. But by the perfect timing of God, I got to their camp at 9:40am! This opportunity might not have ever happened if I had gotten there just 20 minutes later!” -Joe Brackett- Homeless Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

“While I was at NuStart this week, the workers there told me that the client that I had brought to them a few months back was doing fantastic! That they didn’t even look like the same person anymore. That they loved where they were at, and that they were now working a job! It was incredible to hear that the person a few months ago who was so sad they no longer had anyone to share the second half of their sandwiches with due to their significant other, who they always shared with, passed away of a drug overdose. That they were now working at a place where they get to make and share sandwiches with so many other people.” -Joe Brackett- Homeless Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare

#ROCAndRoll

#ROCRetrospective

#KeepItPositive

#OvercomingBadWithGood