Richard...(Part 2)

This is going to be a bit disjointed from my last posting (as I said I would be continuing my thoughts from last day in this post), but something really amazing happened just yesterday (Monday May 31st). I was working the dinner shift at the restaurant and it was fairly busy. And guess who happens to walk in...you got it! Richard (the gentleman that I had met on Friday nite).

At first I was a bit worried. Again it was my selfish nature thinking negative thoughts. "Is he going to bother the customers? Does he want food again? why is he here?"

But thank goodness I have had all of your support in this matter...and God was able to work a miracle through this situation! After a while of talking, Richard told me that he was freezing cold and needed a place to stay for the nite. There is a shelter in Downtown kitchener and he said that it would cost him $11.90 to stay there for the night (he was pretty precise with that number).

The thing that struck me tonite again..was that he didn't just ask for money for no reason...it was so he could stay at The House of Friendship (the shelter)...AND...he even offered to work for it! He told me that he'd be willing to do dishes, take out garbage, mop..etc etc.

At first i was reluctant to let him do so for the fear of making the other employees uncomfortable (also when the actual dishwasher/clean up guy came by...he wouldn't have anything to do).

But again Richard's sincerity got to me. After i told him my dilemma about the other employees, he looked at me and told me that he really needed this. If i could just give him some work so that he could earn even half of the nite's fee he would be ever so thankful. The fact that he was so willing to work for his money...I couldn't turn this man away.

Turns out, he was an AMAZING worker!! As i was saying...it was a relatively busy nite at the restaurant...but he just blew through the dishes in a flash! after that, i asked him to take out the garbage in the kitchen and he even took the initiative to ask if there were any other garbage cans that he could empty out as well! (heck! I don't even think of that when i take out the trash!!)

Finally...when the nite almost came to an end...i was able to sit down and share a meal with him. Friends...i'd like to take this time now to introduce you to Richard (shoot...i didn't get his last name yet):

He's a 34 year old man living on the streets of Kitchener.

He was born and raised in this city and both his mother AND grandmother live in this area as well.

He has been unemployed and out of a residence for almost a year and a half now, and his last stable employment was at a meat packing factory behind Conestoga Mall.

He has two children. Two beautiful daughters ages 18 and 6. Although his 18 year old has dropped out of school and is currently working, he has high hopes for his 6 year old (who is currently living in sudbury with her mother)

He loves sports of all kinds...the Toronto Maple Leafs are his team...buuuut...he figures Calgary will do for the time being ;o)

After our meal, he was on his way. I realized that he would be most likely walking downtown or taking the bus (which would've cost him another $2)...and as "luck" would have it, for some reason...I just happened to have a bus ticket lying around the restaurant! Luck? Chance? Some forgetful student who's walking home now cuz he/she's missing a bus ticket? I can't quite say. All i know is that that nite...things happened the way the did for a reason...we'll see what happens from here on in =)