CHAPTER 12
GIVING ME STRENGTH
There was a young man, Steve, staying at our Emergency Night shelter. He had come to us directly from prison. The days of early release prisoners having a job and residence in place prior to release had disappeared. Persons on probation or parole would sign an agreement with our shelter. It says that any previously incarcerated person being released from prison who has no where else to stay, may stay at Allied Churches shelter with the following conditions:
1. must follow all regular rules.
2. must look for work and stay every night consecutively, upon arrival until a place to live is located.
The agreement is intended to primarily assist the releasee with a certain degree of discipline and it also helps the community at large.
Steve arrived and promptly signed the agreement. He was given information about jobs and housing; he followed our rules. After 4 or 5 nights, he asked to go to Virginia (to see his grandmother) for one night. The night managers were not allowed to grant that wish so Steve came to see me.
I was warned that Steve wanted to see me so I did a little homework before he arrived. I suspected that his visit to “grandma’s” was really a visit to “girlfriend’s”, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt if he were out there trying to find a job. However, since our shelter had gone to some trouble to let him know where the job opportunities were and where there was housing, I followed through to see if he were making contact. Unfortunately, Steve told us he was job and house hunting, but I found out he was not doing anything in those areas. I discussed this with his probation officer, also.
Steve showed up and made his request. He was polite and apologetic—both are common behaviors when trying to “con” someone. He assured me he was job hunting and communicating with his probation officer. I informed him that neither was true according to my information. I refused him the permission to go visit his “grandmother.”
He bowed his head, shook his head, and then looked at me and said, “You are tough.” I told him I knew that and that I raised my own children to be responsible citizens. I’ll never forget what he said next. “I wish my mother had been as tough on me as you are.”
The ANGELS were helping me out that day with courage and strength.
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