Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A visit from an old friend....

Chattanooga may just be the biggest small town in Tennessee. If you grew up in this area, you know that you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone you went to school with, attended church with or worked with at some point.

Recently, one of our case managers unexpectedly ran into an old friend from high school. They shared stories, laughed at childhood memories and caught up on life…like friends do. Then, they had to get down to business. The case manager’s friend had come by for a reason – he was homeless and had come to the Kitchen to receive services.

As the case manager shared this story, a silence fell over our break room. You could tell the case manger was contemplating what had just happened. The job is difficult enough just being faced with the needs of so many daily; when it is someone you know personally, the reality of your job really hits home.

The case manger told us it was good to see his friend. He enjoyed reminiscing about the ‘good old days’ but was shocked by the present. But, he was also glad to be able to offer a helping hand and a caring heart…after all, that’s what friends are for!

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