Shelter Experiences

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

I had the opportunity to serve dinner at our Men's Shelter on Monday. I welcome these glimpses into the "front line" of our services, as I spend the vast majority of my time in the office or meeting with donors -- very rarely do I have a chance to really dig in and get dirt under my fingernails.

I always find these experiences simultaneously encouraging and heartbreaking. On the one hand, hearing (and telling) the success stories of our agency is one of the greatest joys of my work. But on the other, coming up close and personal with the incredible challenges that our clients face is sometimes enough to make you sit down and weep.

It had been about a month since I last served dinner at the Shelter and I was encouraged by how few faces I recognized. For example, Jerome* was gone, and I took that as a good sign. When I met him last month, he was staying at the Shelter following an explosive breakup with his girlfriend. He had a steady job as a cook at a local restaurant and was hoping to soon have enough money saved up to get his own place.

But Jon was still there, and that made me sad. Last month, he'd been brand new to the Shelter, fresh from Arizona. A specialty construction worker (I think he does tile), the lack of jobs in Arizona had driven him out and his love of the Steelers brought him to Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, there wasn't much work here, either, and he found his way to EECM.

Since we last connected, he'd moved out of the Shelter into an apartment with a roommate, only to return when the housing situation didn't work out. He eagerly told me about a new job he'd just landed, doing renovations on a house in Fox Chapel. He was confident this would provide employment for at least a month, and that might be enough for a security deposit. I hope so!

It's always good to be reminded of who we serve and why those services are so important.

*These aren't their real names.