Today, I once again got to witness the great work of Foot On Foot in person. Unlike so many other organizations that help their clients by giving them a single meal, FOF gives its members so much more: the tools and the opportunity to work themselves out of their current situation. For the homeless in Los Angeles, there are hundreds of places where they can get a hot meal or a change of clothes, but where else can they reconnect with their own worth, their own dreams? FOF gives them that chance, the confidence and discipline that enables them to rediscover that part of themselves with which they've lost touch.
Seeing the joy and pride in Danny's eyes as he graduated the program today was all the proof anyone could ever need to understand that FOF changes lives forever. As Danny told us today, living on the streets just a few months ago, he never dreamed that he would have his own apartment or a career; today began a new phase of Danny's life. But even more profound than Danny's recovery was the hope and enthusiasm in the eyes of the other crew members, each of them so obviously yearning to join Danny in getting their lives back on track.
I spent some time today speaking with Tim (named changed), who showed up for a meal. Tim told me about his career in the Air Force, his service in the Gulf War, and how he was never able to re-enter society when he returned from combat. Unable to find work as a civilian and still troubled by his experiences in the war, he migrated to California where he thought living outside would be easier. He dreams of moving to the mid-west, where his wife still lives, hoping to return his family to the place it was before the war. When I asked him what he missed most about his life before he became homeless, he said that he loved the responsibility, knowing that if he didn't do his job well, his brother soldiers would be in peril. Tim is now in peril, and through FOF, he may reconnect with the part of himself and understand his worth to himself, to his family, and to his brotherhood of man.
-Tom