There are few things that make me happier than helping people, as most of you know. Although I'm continuously feeling satisfied with the work that I do, today I was overwhelmed with joy when I received some awesome news from a client.
This client came in a few weeks back looking for assistance with finding an apartment. A few weeks before that he had lived in Florida and decided to move to California, however he got sidetracked in New Orleans and decided to stay. However he had no home to call his own, and had to resort to a shelter for a few weeks. Alone and 63-years-old, this man became homeless.
Unlike a lot of our clients, this man has SSI income and a promising job at the Superdome. All he needed was assistance to find an affordable apartment, which is a hard task in and of itself--believe me, I've been through that search. When I first got word that I got the job here at UNITY, my roommate and I frantically searched for apartments for about a month, coming up short on every lead. Finally, right before our move down here, we secured the apartment that we live in now. But the process definitely came with a lot of let downs and frustrations.
Although the client was slightly old and worn out, he was determined to have his own apartment by the holidays, and I was determined to make that happen. The first day he came in we went through apartment options and called multiple landlords for about an hour. At the end of the session, we secured him a viewing of an apartment in the 7th ward.
As the day came, he was informed that the apartment had been rented to someone else. Although this news was disheartening, he continued to explore his options and came back into UNITY to talk to my coworker about more options. At the time I was working at our other office, but I received a text from my coworker saying that one apartment looked promising. I crossed every finger I could.
When I came into work this Monday, I checked my voicemails, and had one from the client. "Hello Ms. Catherine, give me a call back I have some good news."
I called him back this morning and he informed me that he is moving into his apartment tomorrow and couldn't be more excited. EEEEEEEEK! I was elated.
When I first met him, he promised to take me to dinner if I helped get him housed. This morning, he asked me when I was free and said that although he will be short on money after renting the apartment, he would use every last dollar to take me to lunch or dinner. He said if I couldn't meet him, he would bring lunch to me. Because I will be going home this weekend, our celebratory meal is postponed until after the New Year, but I can't wait to share my excitement with him.
In light of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, the spirit of the holidays have been a bit weakened. However, the joy of helping him and helping others will always strengthen my spirits.
Thankfully, the client will be comfortably housed on Christmas morning. I too might be able to return to my home in Lavallette for Christmas, which would honestly be the best present and the only present I truly want. A little bit of mold and damaged flooring is all that stands in my way of waking up in my own bed to go see if Santa has visited.
Santa has been working overtime this year and has already brought me a lot of joy already, and the blessings I have received are enough for many Christmases to come. My only hope is that the 26 news angels in Heaven watch down on us this holiday season, as I know we will all be looking up to them.
Make sure to cherish your time in your home for the holidays--the comfort of a fireplace, a warm bed, a loving family, and a clean bill of health shouldn't go unnoticed and shouldn't be overlooked. Open your presents with gratitude and joy and know that you are blessed. With that being said, I hope you all get everything that's on your Christmas list, and hug your families tight.
Happy holidays everyone.
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