As I left the church at the end of the day today, I passed the guys as they waited in the misty evening for the shelter doors to open. I caught sight of Russ’s head, and asked what he was doing hanging around with them. Tonight was the big annual awards dinner that Porchlight puts on, and Russ was one of the honorees. He claimed to be waiting for his ride, but he was an hour early.

As I watched him, and later at the dinner as I continued watching him, it was clear that he was more comfortable with the homeless guys than at the dinner. But when he received the award and spoke, he was himself and beautifully eloquent.

As we ate, I couldn’t help but think of the men I passed on my way home, waiting to get into the shelter out of the cold, damp night, and what they would be eating tonight. Porchlight does some wonderful things and we heard some great success stories. We also got to meet or listen to some of their dedicated staff. It was a moving evening, but even as we ate, and listened, I remembered those men, waiting in line for shelter.