In this series, individuals living in Concord, NH share stories from their experiences with homelessness.. These articles have been lightly edited. Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Getting a restful night’s sleep at the shelter was impossible, there was too much noise and chaos. Every night after lights out there was a symphony of snoring and coughing.
On Monday morning, it was nice to be able to do laundry and take a much-needed and appreciated shower at the Resource Center. It was nice to get something to eat as well. But the limited options – toast and sometimes day-old pastries – wasn’t an ideal breakfast after a poor night’s sleep in the shelter.
For a little while, I was able to anonymously fill the Resource Center cabinets and shelves with cereal, milk, orange juice, Pop Tarts, Sunny-D, bottles of water, peanut butter, jelly, and fruit.
I didn’t do it to kiss anybody’s butt or to get special treatment. I did it purely for selfish reasons. I wanted something good to eat in the morning, and in order to that I had to supply enough for everybody. I did that for as long as I could, until my money ran out. The food went quickly and was enjoyed by all. Supplying good breakfast food for everyone made me feel useful. It sort of made everyone a little happier in the morning. After all, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Resources were limited and mostly donated. Perhaps it was my upbringing, or my sense of contributing to my community for the betterment of the whole. but I needed to feel useful again. It was important to me, so I offered to wash dishes, and sweep the floors after the RC closed for the day. It made me feel better and it felt like the right thing to do. Besides, what else did I have to do?
From December through March, The Friendly Kitchen serves breakfast to anyone in need, including a number of CCEH clients and guests. Throughout the year, CCEH provides light breakfast items, such as toast, peanut butter and jelly, butter, coffee, tea, and sometimes fresh fruit.
B is temporarily housed and is working toward completing a degree in creative writing at NHTI. He hopes that in sharing his experience of homelessness through his writing, he can better help the community understand what homelessness is truly like, and also be a role model to others experiencing homelessness that there is hope and a path out.
