Setting Prisoners Free

Thanksgiving and Christmas can be such a confusing season. It is supposed to be the season of joy, celebration, and happiness, yet many are struggling to see even a glimmer of hope. To those who are experiencing homelessness, are precariously housed, isolated in an SRO, a Nursing Home, or incarcerated, this time of the year is often a season riddled with guilt, regret, and grief. Guilt over not being able to provide meals or gifts for their families. Guilt over having to rely on organizations and churches. Guilt over the mystery of estranged children and the whereabouts of family members. Regret over relationships that have been destroyed and need to be repaired. Regret over the decisions that were once made and now having to suffer the consequences. Regret over not having a home to call their own. Grief over what could have been, but isn’t. Grief over their reality of alienation and rejection. Grief over the loss of those loving family members that are now gone. Grief over the one

I  write this as a continuation of another blog post I recently finished; in  "I'm grieving"  I take my time to grieve over 4 friends who left us too early! But since writing that, I was shocked to hear of at least 6 more friends who have died. Since the beginning of September until the start of November 2017, so in just over 2 months, I know of at least 10 people who have passed away. There's a reason I say "at least 10", because there have been 2 more people who've been mentioned to me, but I haven't been able to confirm whether the rumors are true or not.  All 10 of these men are younger than my parents but older than me! In other words, none of them reached the age of 70!  All of them experienced homelessness. All of them struggled with poverty. All of them had times when they lived with the heart-wrenching uncertainty of where they’d sleep at night! All of them were exposed to the threats of hypothermia, frostbite and heat stroke.

Oh Kenny: I’m sad to hear you left us last week. Rest in Peace, my friend.  I had the honor of knowing Kenneth for almost 2 decades and I want to remember him for his wit, confidence and relentless generosity. Even in the difficult times, it was always good to see this resilient warrior limping through the streets of Uptown. He was a picture of survival and perseverance. Life wasn't easy or simple for Kenneth. His struggle was real. He faced a lot of trauma in his life. He was a Vietnam veteran. He experienced homelessness. He rotated in and out of housing. He stayed with us at CCO, he slept at the airport, he slept on trains and he often found rest and support in Uptown Tent City. It seemed like everyone knew Kenny, and he found community and support in Uptown.  What I'm about to say, I say out of love for a man I consider a friend. A few of us went through many hills and valleys with him and his obstacles were huge and daunting. He needed others and many of us rose up to as