Meet Anthony
Known around the Men’s Center for his sense of humor and upbeat attitude, Anthony sat down to share a little bit of his story and what nudged him to write the note below.
Can you just tell us a little about how you came to be at Presbyterian Night Shelter?
I became homeless about 2 years ago, but have been in and out of the streets, dealing with drugs and stuff like that, and that led me to Presbyterian Night Shelter. Ms. Betty, Mr. Toby, and Mr. Alex have been a big inspiration to me. I’ve got family and when they see me they tell me how much better I look after being here. I lose touch with them sometimes because experiencing homeless is stressful and can be overwhelming.
I don’t consider Presbyterian Night Shelter to be a homeless shelter – it is a helping shelter. As long as I am here, I am behind Presbyterian Night Shelter 100%. I just thank the Lord for the Shelter. I still see people out on the streets and I wonder why – there’s help at Presbyterian Night Shelter!
If Presbyterian Night Shelter is willing to lend a helping hand, I am willing to accept it, making forward progress in the housing program.
Can you tell us about the note you wrote and what it has been like at the Shelter during COVID-19?
I wrote what came from my heart, how I feel about the situation. With coronavirus going on, I applaud the staff every day for the work they do helping us, following guidelines to keep us healthy.
I miss my kids and my grandbabies during coronavirus – being with them is my goal and I thank Presbyterian Night Shelter for helping me stay focused, especially Mr. David my case manager. He is so amazing, he stays on me to get done what I need to do.