REBUILD: Grateful for the Shelter

This is a homeless shelter.

As much as I have complaints about not having privacy or being comfortable I can not really complain because I am grateful to be here. It could be worse. I could be under the expressway.

Here I get 3 meals a day. I am gaining weight because of eating so much. Here the cigarettes are priced very low and I am able to earn money as a vendor. The people here are friendly for the most part and they share what they have.

Since being here I have seen people be kicked out and days later I see them wandering the street looking hungry and sad. The man I featured in my documentary episode 15 was kicked out today. He says it was because he bought a needle for another resident and the resident snitched. Others say it is because he won't stop drinking. There is a no drinking and no drug policy here. If you are caught under the influence you must leave immediately.

In most cases the owner will allow the person to come back after a few days and they DO come back in off the street.

I am grateful to be here. They treat me well and I am safe. I eat ec

Today I actually looked forward to seeing some of the people here. I hang out with one guy, his name is Chris. He follows me to videotape my stories and some others like Habib, which is not his real name but he looks Indian although he is dominican and guayanese. We sit around and talk when I'm not writing.

Tonight its 10pm and no one has gone to bed yet. The shelter is full. They are not allowing anyone else in. A family came to stay but they had to turn them away. Dinner was so good tonight. We had steak and potatoes and corn and cake.

That food was sooo good that EVERYONE was licking their lips afterwards. I was too! Everyday is not a nightmare but everyday is eventful.

I walked to the park to take a nap today, just to get away. I was frustrated because none of the businesses I'm calling are calling me back and I have no idea how I'm going to get 30 businesses.

I tried to shake off the frustration of the project by taking a nap but I woke up to a police officer in my face telling me that I can't sleep there. Annoyed I moved to another spot and filmed this video.



Then I walked back to the shelter, the only place that welcomes me.

Posted in: Rebuild Your Life