Shelter from the storm
'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form Come in, she said I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Out with the old, in with the new.
Last Saturday, Lincoln Park Community Services broke ground for their new facility, in Old Town. It's exciting, long overdue but bittersweet. Like so many others, I'll always have strong feelings for the old building.
I remember walking into the building for the first time. It was in the middle of a snow storm and I was there for an hour to fill out paperwork, just in case there ever became a bed available. They had a long waiting list...at least I thought it was long. That was fine because I really didn't plan on ever living there. I figured if it came down to it, I was going to live on the train. Yeah....right.
What I thought was a long waiting list was really just a couple of months. When they called and said there was a bed available and I needed to be there the next day, I still wasn't sure I was going. The train was sounding pretty good to me but I figured why not see what this would be like.
When I walked into LPCS, I was ill, broke and more than a little nervous....okay scared is the proper word. I did know a few people that were already living there and that made the early days more tolerable. I also found a lot of people that were in worse shape than I was and they seemed to be dealing okay with their situation. Although that didn't make my situation any better, it did give me hope that I could deal with living there and maybe....just maybe get help in overcoming my difficulties.
After about a month, I got locked in and figured out I could live there. They really didn't ask for much or have too many rules. You wake up at 6:30 UGH!!. Lights are out at 10pm but you could stay up as late as you want. You had to be in by dinner at 7:30. Plus, they want you to take a few classes each month. Pretty easy-peasy stuff...at least for me. Oh yeah....you needed to be able to get along with 34 other people from all different backgrounds. Not quite as easy-peasy but I'm a pretty mellow guy and only wanted to hit someone five to ten times during my time there. HA!!
As time moves on, you're building relationships with people. It's amazing how someone you would never talk to in the "outside world" has become one of your best friends. You have conversations and hear stories that even the best writers can't make up. All the things you might have made judgments about in the past, go out the window because when you look around, you realize that you're in the same place as him....and as him...and as her. It's an eye opening and life changing experience, to say the least.
For most of us, we thought that living at LPCS was the worst thing that could happen to us in our lives. We were wrong! For most of us, we arrived there hurt and broken from the lives we led before arriving in Lincoln Park. We were nurtured and helped and left there feeling healed and whole again. Every time I walk past the building, it brings back memories...both good and bad...and I like that. It's the bad things and how you deal with them that give you character. Never forget them.
I left LPCS three years ago tomorrow. I'm back in the building a couple of times a month to work on a project, teach a class or just have dinner and hang out. Almost every visit, I notice the place is falling apart. There's always repair work either going on or needing to occur. It seems like every summer there's a flood from the a leak in the roof. I didn't want to admit it but a new facility was needed....BAD!
It's been a long time coming but the funding is done, the city approval is done and maybe eventually the new neighbors will come around and become friends. It happened in Lincoln Park so I don't see why Old Town will be any different. Plus I noticed there's a Debra's Place women's shelter directly across the street. There can be parties, picnics and maybe even a Sadie Hawkin's Dance event. But seriously, the new facility means more people can be helped with temporary and permanent housing solutions. Less people living on the street is a great thing. It's the reason social agencies like this and so many others exist. Trust me, these people aren't in it for the money.
The new building is about a year away from completion. The old building will have to make due for a bit longer. I'm good with that. It gives me more time to get my emotions in check. I don't know if a year is enough...we'll see.
Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved Everything up to that point had been left unresolved Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm Come in, she said I'll give ya shelter from the storm
The song lyrics in bold are from Bob Dylan's "Shelter From The Storm"
This is another in the series Faces Of Homelessness.
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