Making our way into the city this week we met Mister 1 and Mister 2 and it was a pleasure to meet them both. Mister 1 was at the McDonalds when I was grabbing my coffee and was holding a sign looking for anyone who would provide assistance. I told him I would be back to help out. After buying his care package we proceeded to the location to see him walking down the road so we pulled in to a parking lot so we could speak with him. He said he had to leave where he was standing for obvious reasons (no panhandling in Florida) so he took flight! We greeted Mister 1 as we do with an introduction of who we are and what we do and he told us who he was and where he was coming from. I asked him if he was hungry and wanted the care package we had for him and our monetary donation raised to buy something for dinner. He was so thankful and went onto say that he was coming from NY by way of hitch hike but was originally from Utah. He explained that he was a heroine addict seeking treatment at the Samaritan House. I asked where he gets cleaned up at and he said there was a store front that had cameras he felt safe sleeping at but leaves early in the morning not to scare the employees coming into work. He was down on his luck and appreciated us for the support. We wished him well in his attempt to get treatment and gave our information if he needed help finding other resources. Mister 2 we saw at the intersection with lots of traffic so I yelled out the window- we will be back to assist you, and went to get his care package which includes an apple, banana, gatorade and something warm and $5 for dinner. We get back to the location to find him in the grass area under a tree getting shade. Mister 2 says he’s homeless but only because he has back problems that prevent him from working. He has made millions of dollars in his lifetime and this is a momentary issue that will be resolved as soon as he can get health coverage to fix his back. He works construction and worked for his bestfriend so he waits for the chance to get back to work so he can get off the streets. I asked where he gets cleaned up and he said there was a building down the road he gets cleaned up and can sleep there if he wants. We thanked them both for sharing their story and left with a sense of accomplishment but also a small feeling of emptiness!
