Day 1 At The Shelter

Day 1 is quickly coming to a close. We have some evening programs that run in the evening apparently but the most of the day is now over. I will review what my day was like.

I arrived at the shelter last night and made my way to the admin desk. I was handed an intake form where I was asked a whole variety of questions around my situation ranging from drug use to criminal history. It was a laundry list of questions I have never been asked before.

Once I completed the form I was told I could stay for one week at which point I would need to move to another shelter. I said I would be fine with just the week. I was given a tour of the modest facility. There was a sleeping area, a ward of sorts, a minor medical room, admin offices, an entertainment room, washrooms with showers, and a dining hall. The decor was stark, almost clinical. There was little warmth to the place.

As I had missed dinner I was told I could relax in the rec lounge or find myself a bed and make it my own. I decided that I should find a bed. As I looked around the room that people sleep in, I noticed that many of the residents had already picked out a place to sleep. I settled into a bed close to the door and close to the corner thinking it would have me close to an exit and leaving no one behind me.

I made my way to the rec room from there. That is where I met him. His name is Caleb and he is 17 years old, he is about 5'10 and probably no more than 150 pounds soaking wet. His dirty blonde hair and grey eyes make him look meek and beaten down, there is a tremendous amount of pain and suffering in his soul. I can feel it. He is a very nice young bisexual who is recovering from a heroin addiction. His mother used to beat on him and his father figured he was best served as a sex toy to his sicko ideas...we hit it off immediately. Never in my life did I think that a former heroin addict and myself could find common ground but we did.

He talked about how he got here, that he was hoping to one day go back to school and make something of himself, that he had dreams just like any other kid and that he was going to do everything he could to make something of himself in spite of his parents. He had left home at 14, and was living on the streets for the most part and then bouncing between shelters. He talked about how the system is not designed to help people like him out. Then it happened, the one thing I was most worried about...he asked me what I was doing there. My heart jumped and I told him I could not and would not lie to him. I told him I was doing something I had put on my bucket list and so the story went.

He sat there in silence as I told him my story in 5 minutes or less. He just sat there, silent, listening, absorbing, and taking in what I had to say as though my situation was suddenly more important than his own. When I finished, he leaned over and hugged me. I could feel his ribs against my chest and I just shuddered, took a deep breath and tried to keep my composure. How could this young man be so attached to me in such a short time. When he let me go he said he would help me get used to things around here.

We made our way to the dining hall and we sat and had coffee. I think he was being friendly but in all honesty, I think he did it to be normal again, whatever normal is anyway. He had a friend, someone he could relate to and someone who was not there to judge him.

That night he set up shop beside my bed, hugged me again, and we crashed side by side.

By 8 AM the lights came on and whatever dream was washing through my brain quickly disappeared as I opened my eyes and looked at Caleb. With a big smile he looked at me and told me it was time to go get breakfast.

Breakfast is not much to look at, Oatmeal, juice, toast and a few other things to make sure you get a balanced morning. From breakfast you are expected to head to either work placement, schooling or some form, a treatment program or some other positive activity. Since I had nowhere to go I opted to spend the day in the shelter and take in a drug awareness class. Caleb was off to a day long program from recovering addicts and said he would see me for dinner.

I had no idea there were so many narcotics out there and with so many crazy names. All I know is, I dont do drugs and after todays class, I dont intend to either.

I spent the balance of the day outdoors, walking the downtown and just doing what someone who does not have a home would do.

I returned for Dinner, met up with Caleb and we sat and had a hearty beef stew, bread, and carrot cake for desert. We talked about what he did that day and I told him about my day. We continued chatting and getting closer. I am feeling a special bond with him...a feeling I have not felt before, and its nice.

So now here I am, sitting in the computer room where you can access the net though we are monitored to make sure we are not accessing anything illegal etc.

Tonight Caleb is going to introduce me to some of the other people he hangs with and we are going to spend the rest of the night as a group.

I think I found that special someone I was meant to get close to and help...at least I hope I did. Its funny, a heroin addict and a cancer kid meet in a homeless shelter. It sounds like the set-up to a really bad joke and yet the joke is, it feels like home.

Till Tomorrow!

LiveSTRONG!