Our Place
“On Monday I arrived at the Drop In Centre at 4:30 am. It had been a miserable night with torrential rainfall. The homeless, about 27 of them, had been in the rain all night and were awaiting my arrival. All of them were soaked through to the skin. I received a heartfelt, “Hi Rev. Al, we’re so glad to see you!” as they pushed by me with their shopping carts, bicycles and backpacks … the only things they owned. I continued to hold the door open as they came in out of the rain, most of them giving me a hug as they passed me by. Once inside, I went to the clothing room and simply emptied six or seven garbage bags of donated, used clothing on the floor in front of them.
My Family quickly rummaged through the dry clothing. The conversation as they grabbed and reached for pieces of clothing, went something like this, “Oh…this doesn’t fit me, here, it’ll fit you”, “this is nice and warm, you can have it, I have enough”. Not what one would expect in a group of people labeled “street”, “drug addicts”, “alcoholics” and “the mentally ill.” The truth is, I find more generosity, kindness and love among the homeless, my Family, than I find in most arenas. Mother Theresa’s words come to mind, “You will always know the poor, they are the ones that have no shoes and are offering you a gift.”
As soon as some of them found clothing, they dropped off their dirty, wet clothing right there on the floor in front of them. Naked, they were in full view. Their bruises, cuts, abscesses – fully exposed. What strikes me, however, when I see this piece of art before me, is their gauntness – their skeleton-like figures, draped with infected, rotten skin. Some asked for blankets and got cuddled up and fell asleep at the tables.
I finally had time to sit with my Family in conversation and laughter – the thing that I enjoy most in my day.”
Our Place is a nonprofit society formed by the alliance of the Open Door and The Upper Room in 2006 with a new facility opening in the fall of 2007. Our Place provides transitional housing, meals, support and advocacy, hygiene facilities, training and more. Our Place strives to give people a hand up, not just a hand out. Through the generosity of our donors, the Victoria Foundation has donated $572,348.14 to Our Place since 2004.
