Voice of a Guest: Jacques
Recently, Jacques dropped in for a visit on his day off to let our social services team know how much his life has really turned around since he first came to the soup kitchen. When the fifty two year old first came here about three years ago, he had lost his job and his home. He was also grieving the loss of his mother, who he had lived with and helped care for during her illness before she passed away.
“When she passed —“ he recalls, “Everything just fell apart. I was in a shelter. I never thought I’d end up there.”
Thinking about his days in the shelter Jacques says,“I was ashamed, but the soup kitchen helped me remember who I am and that anyone can end up where I was.”
“I had no money but the soup kitchen helped me get through the day,” Jacques recalls, thinking about that tough winter. “There are very nice people here and it was really a source of energy, the meals and their kindness. They issued me a MetroCard, gloves, scarves and hats.”
Now, Jacques is working again in security. “I’ve got a room of my own in a two story building,” he says. “I got my own place thanks to the help here which helped me with referrals for housing.”
Recently, Jacques even got a promotion at his new job. He gives credit to the social services team and the volunteers here who inspired him to have a new positive, outlook on life – one that he knows his mother would be proud of. “Just by being kind and being helpful, they helped me get to where I am now.”
