Homeless not Hopeless: John's Story

Based on an interview by Lisa Harmon on March 13, 2007
by Julia Guarino

John has been a resident of the Montana Rescue Mission, Billings’ homeless shelter for single adult men, for many years, but if you met him, the word “homeless” would likely be far from your thoughts. John is clean-cut and well-spoken, his deep, even voice giving away his intelligence and education. John was born in Billings, and grew up the oldest boy in a large family. He speaks of his childhood, and the sense of community and security, with nostalgia. “The feeling of neighborliness and community now is so far removed from what it was like when I was growing up” he says with a touch of sadness. “It’s like two entirely different worlds.”

After he finished college, John moved to California for a while to work. He returned to his hometown after a few years, where, as he puts it, he “just ran out of money,” and found himself in the homeless shelter. He explains that life at the shelter offers little more than a place to sleep and three meals a day, with the only daytime activity offered being “The Brotherhood,” where residents who are interested can participate in basic Bible study. For some, he says, this leads to further study, and eventually a career in the Ministry. Most individuals, he explains, even those uninterested in Bible study, are interested in working. “In my experience, the majority of people I’m acquainted with through the Mission, them being generally homeless …do want to work,” he says. And many of them do. He estimates that more than half work full or part time, some holding a regular job and many working as day laborers or doing odd jobs around town.

A great barrier to this work force, however, is a lack of job skills; from unfamiliarity with newer technologies to functional illiteracy, which he says he sees frequently amongst his fellow residents. However, with a little job preparation, he is confident many of them could get back on their feet. “They can learn, and they will learn,” he says. “But it is a matter of finding someone who will take them on, give them a chance, and the person being hired… they’ve got to prove their ability, to prove their willingness to be loyal to the employer.” The Social Enterprise model, where businesses employ at-risk populations, is currently being practiced in town by employers such as MasterLube and the Downtown Business Improvement District. This certainly requires trust and faith on the part of both employer and employee, but as both these examples prove, it can be a tremendously successful business model.

When John speaks about what he sees in those he interacts with at the Mission, he highlights the importance of this kind of trust and faith for an individual who is experiencing homelessness. He explains, “A lot of the people we see at the Mission may have suffered a great loss of self-respect, many have lost that little bit of drive that would get them out of the rut.” When asked what a homeless person needs, he is quick to answer. “A homeless person needs self-confidence, a feeling of being respected… needs a great deal of encouraging,” and he enjoys being the one to give that encouragement. As for himself, “I don’t really have a firm, solid, shining objective at the moment. I’d like to be helpful to people who want to be helped.”

Update: John moved into housing in the summer of 2009 – Congratulations, John!