Folks accessing the free dinner were in lots of different situations. Some were using the shelter as a stop-gap solution to a volatile housing situation. Others were coping with mental health and addictions issues that prevented them from working. Of them, some were okay with that and others were really frustrated with themselves or with services. We spoke to one young man who is employed full time doing a physically demanding job that he considers good work. Bobby comes back to hang-out at the shelter because that’s where his people are. What does it mean when someone who’s found his way out comes back to the shelter? Is it a success story that helps other people envision a way to move forward? Or was Bobby having trouble moving on?
Read more here: “Sneaker Cleaning, of course”
How does it feel to write your kids names on the food cupboard form and ask for help? When you’re struggling with your sense of identity in a crisis, how does the experience of the food cupboard help to shape that new sense of self?
Read more here: “Watermelons for Stories”