In September 2016, I stepped into the bustling cafe of the Mission: Possible! Community Center for the first time. I was nearly shaking with lack of knowledge: what was SOP? What would people be like—how would I be treated? What should I say?
When I went into the booth area to clean some tables, a friendly voice called out to me. Will was sitting at a booth with his friend, JP. They invited me to sit with them. We made small talk for ten minutes or so before JP had to leave, and Will got up to help with the cafe.
Since that first day, I’ve seen Will almost every single time I’ve visited the community center. I’ve seen him progress off of crutches for his broken foot; even through intense pain, I’ve never seen his cheerfulness falter. I don’t remember when he started calling me his daughter, but every time he sees me he gives me a hug and a few words of encouragement. “Every time you come in here, you brighten the days of the people here,” he told me once—even just those words provided a huge boost at a time I felt that no one cared that I cared so much about the work I was doing.
Will’s experiencing homeless and has been for years, but he spends every weekday morning at the community center, helping to serve food and coffee, just like the other volunteers. He’s an integral part of the family. I’m so thankful for his friendship over the past year, and seeing him help out people despite his foot condition, despite that he himself is homeless, is really encouraging to me since I’ve have perfectly good physical health—he leads by example.
Going into this project initially, I deeply hoped that I’d be able to develop friendships with the people I met. I never thought that one of my deepest friendships would start on the very first day, and my interactions with Will have peeled my eyes to the warmth and grace that people experiencing homelessness can have as people: homelessness doesn’t bar the good in humans. And it’s entirely possible to have a friendship without patronization. Will has encouraged me constantly and kindly in a way most of my housed friends haven’t, and for his genuine friendship I’m indebted to him.
When I finally sat down to talk with him about his story, Will didn’t want to disclose the exact nature of his fall into homelessness. I suspect that, like many others, it was a blend of systemic and personal factors. He’s waiting for his foot to heal completely so he can work; he’s waiting for his disability checks to start coming in the meantime. For him, there isn’t much he can do to improve his situation than to wait.
Thanks for reading!
–Isabella, 10/16/17