One of the biggest needs we have come across when assisting folks (aside from housing) is transportation. Most of the individuals that are part of the outreach community do not have vehicles and rely on the bus to get groceries, go to doctor’s appointments and to just get out of the house, or away from a certain area for a change of scenery. Thankfully when COVID happened, bus fares disappeared, making it much easier for individuals to get around. Unfortunately, not everything is accessible by bus, or easy to get to when crossing into different cities.
Yesterday we picked up A.B. so that she could go to a doctor’s appointment, run an errand to get a bank account set up and get a document notarized. For someone with a car, this is very easy. Just hop in the car, go to the appointment and stop by a bank on the way home. That is not so easy for someone who does not have easy access to transportation. Even though we were able to assist her with the appointment and bank, she could not get the document notarized as they needed more information, which means more phone calls for her, additional trips to a place that can make copies, a place that can fax documents and then back to have a piece of paper notarized. That requires A LOT of coordination and A LOT of time to get back and forth between the different places. I have a new appreciation for my car and ability to get around when I think about all she and others have to go through to get something that would be fairly simple for me, done.
Afterwards, I stopped off and brought a few of S.R’s favorite foods to her. She is still a bit under the weather. I am hoping the food will help her to feel a little better, and that she likes what I brought! I picked up some healthy and organic soups and an organic version of Mac-N-Cheese with the squeezable cheese while I was grocery shopping yesterday. It’s sad that the majority of food that is available to individuals who are homeless is fried and very processed. We are working on grilling out fresh meats and vegetables for folks in the outreach community on Saturdays. I am so looking forward to this next step!
Today, I’m on the road again for a bit. B.C., an individual from our outreach community, has two doctor’s appointments. We have made great progress in pinpointing what has been causing his speech impediment and breathing problems. His appointments today are the next step in this puzzle around his health. I’m looking forward to the day where he is able to breathe without the need for oxygen, he is able to walk around and visit with friends he has made through the years while on the street, he is reconnected to his family and grandchildren and he is able to effectively communicate with others! We are getting there – one step at a time!