Halflife Step - Tm - 2014 interview

why did you decide to become a resident here? I have decided to become a resident at St. Petersburg Free Clinic I am a male resident. Because I was homeless, I was jobless and there was no where to turn too. Where you a resident anywhere else before here? Yes I was a resident with a Liberian family when I first came from Africa, and I stayed with them for almost three years, and then things changed, and everyone needed to find their own way and move. So I had no where to go, but when I came to Beacon House they opened the door wide for me, because I am the homeless guy. So what do you think makes a good homeless shelter, what makes one successful? A good homeless shelter is a homeless shelter that cares not about the shelter itself but about the peoples need. And a good homeless shelter is always about the people and each individual person that came into the shelter and lives their. Thinking always about what they can do to progress these individuals lives to change it for the better, so they can face the challenges that made them homeless. What do you think is the biggest factor that causes homelessness, what is the most important factor that makes people homeless in America? The biggest factor that makes people homeless in America to me is that some people decided to become homeless because they do not pick the kind of job that is going to allow them to make a living and it depends on the choices that they make. Some of the people become addicted to things wrong to their life and the other thing is the kinda poverty life that impacts peoples life in America today, maybe I come from a poor family background that is not making much ends meet and they crack themselves down, ok I cant make it to this level, and because my parents are poor, so that means I can not grow up to make something out of my life. I also believe most Americans that I know today who are suffering from homelessness are relying on some kinda support from the government and quickly forget that they need to help themselves. Right so you think if they had access to jobs that where right for them from the beginning that they would be more successful? Yes !! If the have access to the right job that is going to help them they will be more successful, and can help build the nation from there own path, making the country more better then how it currently is now. How is this homeless shelter helping you succeed? This homeless shelter is helping me succeed from the day one that I moved in they contributed to my development and being somebody. They look at my goals and weaknesses and strengths, setting goals for me and my future, and they work with me along the way, step by step. Comfort me when they need to comfort me, teach me what they need to teach me, be tougher on me when they need to be tougher on me because they know its a lesson for me to learn. And they believe in me before I could even believe that homelessness is not a sickness but this is an advantage for you to take care of your problems and what brought you to become homelessness and they work with me every step of the way. And they even let me know that when I am gone, and I have left the shelter, they will still check on me to see if I am progressing or not because this is what the Beacon house is about that its not only helping people be successful find a job and live a good life but working with the person even after he is gone to check out the progress of the person has been and able to turn for better for good and get out of homelessness for good. So it sounds kind like being part of a family? Yes. Because they check up on you when you need it and tough on you when you need it. Yes, because they don't take you like an external somebody or they do not take you as someone that doesn't belong to a family. From the first time you knock on there door you are there family you are one with them and they wanted to help you out to get you out of the homelessness that you are in. So where do you see yourself in five years, what does your future look like? Well in the next five years I see myself, making a impact in peoples lives, letting people know that this life is too short but you can make the best of it and you can live happily and homelessness should never be an excuse for you to stay the way you are. But to let you know that you have the power even more than those currently who have a job that are now out of homelessness, you have to realize that hey this is why I became homeless and its time to grow up and fix these issues. In the next five years to ten years I see myself making an impact in peoples lives around here and around wherever it is needed. Because I believe my homelessness taught me a lesson for me to change peoples life and help make it a better place for everybody. So you want to give back, kinda like what someone has done for you, you want ot do that for someone else. Yes. Ok do you think clothing and art can send a message to society. In the society that we live today, is a society of much educated elite that even though most people dont feel like going to school in America and study, every channel around us is a communication link, we got internet, we got the news paper, we got everything around even the clothing you put on. Is a means of communication so I believe clothing art is a better way to communicate because people now and days check each other out what we put on and what is the message that is on your clothing can tell a lot about whom you are. What we put on, if I look at what you put on today, even from the art without words, can tell me that, this whom you are. I can also judge you by what you put on, so I believe that art on a shirt, on the clothing preaches more message than other channels. Will you recite the African proverb? The African proverb that I have for everyone today is " Uneasy lies the head that wears the Crown" what I mean you are a human being, you where chosen for a purpose, you where born for a purpose, to be somebody in your life and to excel in whatever things that come across your way. and there will be a lot of rough edges along the way that the road to success is not a easy road it is not a smooth road. You got to be somebody that endures the pain the road through the pain no matter what it is going to teach you, if you are the bread winner for your family, you gotta be somebody that takes a lot of pressure, from every count of the world, because you are striving for success in your life. because success does not come easy, it comes with sweat and hard work, and when you work for it you will reap what you sew. Perfect