\n<\/p>\n
I got to chat with a new Well, they are not a \u201cnew\u201d The interaction started I saw them walk to the They turned to look at \u201cDid you find any food in They raised their hands I gestured back.\u00a0 <\/span>Hungry?\u00a0 They gestured something I Hmmm.<\/span><\/p>\n I signed, \u201cDeaf??\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n They stared.<\/span><\/p>\n And then they spoke.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But they spoke very \u201cWhat?\u201d I asked, hoping Again, WORDS, but what?<\/span><\/p>\n I hurried down the stairs, \u201cAre you hungry?\u00a0 <\/span>Would you like some food?\u00a0 <\/span>Comida?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u00a0 <\/span>Me?\u00a0 I tried again, and they \u201cWe have food.\u00a0 <\/span>Do you want some?\u201d I tried.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou have fruit??\u201d I \u201cYes, we have fruit!\u00a0 <\/span>Banana??\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cCoffee??\u00a0 <\/span>Are you ok with that??\u201d they timidly replied.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes!\u00a0 <\/span>Yes!!\u00a0 \u201cSit?\u00a0 <\/span>Are you ok with that??\u201d they asked politely.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes.\u00a0 <\/span>Sit if you like.\u00a0 <\/span>Coffee \u2013 milk and sugar??\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u00a0 <\/span>Milk.\u00a0 I rushed in to make a When I came back outside \u201cCoffee!\u201d I said as I \u201cI have everything\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>But do not have my passport\u2026\u201d they nervously Ahhhh, maybe that was the \u201cOh no!\u00a0 <\/span>No passport needed.\u00a0 <\/span>No papers.\u00a0 I am not sure that was We chatted as they very \u201cDo you have employment??\u201d \u201cNo, sorry.\u00a0 <\/span>We do not have any jobs here.\u00a0 <\/span>But your case manager will help you with It was clear that they \u201cI don\u2019t want to go to It\u2019s so sad.\u00a0 <\/span>Horrible to have to have that constant fear There was some confusion I tried to figure out what \u201cNo, I go there, but you And somehow, somewhere, \u201cWell, this is not As we chatted, another I needed to get back \u201cYou see the stars??\u201d they \u201cOh yes!\u00a0 <\/span>Every night.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the moon,\u201d they Ah yes.\u00a0 <\/span>The stars and moon.<\/span><\/p>\n No matter where we We can all look up at the Before I came back inside I love that they shared But sharing magic??\u00a0 <\/span>Well, that is something very special indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n
\npantry guest early this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nguest I guess.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I mean, I have seen them
\nbefore. But this is the first time they were willing to engage with me.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nlike the previous attempt I made had.\u00a0 Today\u00a0<\/span>I
\nsaw them at the pantry, and it was when I had just woken up so I had not been
\nout to fill it yet.\u00a0 <\/span>Usually it is almost
\nempty the first thing every morning, so I assumed they didn\u2019t find much in it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ncorner and stand, waiting for the light to change.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGood morning!\u201d I said loudly from the
\nporch.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWas there any food in there??\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nme.\u00a0 <\/span>But no reply.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe pantry?\u00a0 <\/span>Do you need something?\u201d I
\ntried again.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nand gestured to me.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAhhh yes!\u201d I
\nremembered.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis happened the last time
\nI tried to talk with them\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>Maybe they are
\nDeaf\u2026\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>Food?\u00a0 <\/span>Drink?<\/span><\/p>\n
\ndid not understand \u2013 it looked like a number 3, then a \u201cw\u201d drawn in the air.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nquietly.\u00a0 <\/span>On a busy street corner.\u00a0 <\/span>When I was standing on the porch \u2013 not near
\nthem.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nfor more volume.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhoping if I was close and could hear, we might share a common language.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>I asked, adding in a couple of gestures for good measure.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>Eat?\u201d was the very quiet reply.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nwhispered another answer.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthought I heard.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>How about a cup of hot coffee?\u201d I offered.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>Coffee!\u00a0 <\/span>Please wait here.\u00a0 <\/span>If you want, sit here,\u201d I pointed to our front steps.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>And sugar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\ncoffee and gather some food that might work for them.\u00a0 <\/span>From their clothing and bags, they appeared
\nto not have housing, so I chose things that could be eaten without heating if
\nnecessary, and threw in a can opener in case they needed one.\u00a0 <\/span>I also picked up a backpack in case their
\ncurrent bags were too full to hold the food.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthey had indeed accepted the offer to sit on the steps.\u00a0 <\/span>And they had turned on their phone to listen
\nto music while resting in the sun.<\/span><\/p>\n
\npresented the steaming hot cup and sat the basket full of food choices down.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nexplained.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nconfusion!\u00a0 Perhaps t<\/span>hey thought they
\nneeded to register or qualify for help here.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>This is not the government.\u00a0 <\/span>Not
\nthe state or the county.\u00a0 <\/span>This is just
\nus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nclear them, but they accepted the coffee and I sat down with them.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ncarefully added the sugar and cream to their coffee.\u00a0 <\/span>I learned that they have two children.\u00a0 <\/span>I learned what country they came here from.\u00a0 <\/span>I learned that they are working with a great
\nlocal agency to get support, but do not quite understand how it all works.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthey asked.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nreally want to work.\u00a0 <\/span>They were so gentle
\nand sweet.<\/span><\/p>\n
\njail.\u00a0 <\/span>When you sit, the people, the
\npeople with uniforms, they come to talk.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Mostly the police.\u00a0 <\/span>I do not want
\nto go to jail.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nof getting into trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nover how things work.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI have SNAP.\u00a0 <\/span>But the card\u2026\u00a0
\n<\/span>The card does not work\u2026\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe problem was, and explained if they walked to the county building just a few
\nblocks from our home, they could get help with their SNAP card.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhave to go 5 times.\u00a0 <\/span>Always new people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthey had learned this “fact” that they thought was true (and I guess might explain in their mind why their SNAP card is failing…):\u00a0 <\/span>if you find a
\npenny and pick it up, your SNAP stops working.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nSNAP.\u00a0 <\/span>This food is FREE.\u00a0 <\/span>No papers.\u00a0
\n<\/span>No SNAP.\u00a0 <\/span>Just free,\u201d I explained
\nas I offered them the basked again.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nsweet pantry guest approached.\u00a0 <\/span>I made
\nsure to offer our new friend first dibs on everything I had chosen specially
\nfor them.\u00a0 <\/span>They really only wanted a water,
\nGatorade, and the coffee.\u00a0 <\/span>The second
\nguest then looked thru the loot (I had brought up really special items \u2013 a
\nsummer sausage, box of Girl Scout cookies, and more).\u00a0 <\/span>That person was so happy!\u00a0 <\/span>When looking at the cookies, they said,
\n\u201cNinos!\u201d and I smiled and said, \u201cSi, ninos!\u201d.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Those kids are going to be happy when they come home from school.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ninside to start my work day so had to excuse myself.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But not before my new friend told me that I
\nwas very nice, and that they really like our \u201cJust Be Kind\u201d sign.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nsaid, pointing at the sky.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>I love to look at the stars.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nadded.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nlive.\u00a0 <\/span>Whatever country.\u00a0 <\/span>Whatever house or apartment or street corner
\nwe call home.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nstars and the moon.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe guest taught me a trick.\u00a0 <\/span>I will
\nshare it here with you.\u00a0 <\/span>They tell me it
\nworks even better with bigger paper, but sugar packets is what we had on hand.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthis magic with me.\u00a0 <\/span>Sharing coffee is
\neasy.\u00a0 <\/span>Sharing conversation is fun.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n