We Continue the Journey

In my last letter I told you about Reggie. We have all been so excited for him getting his first job in 32 years! He has been faithful and diligent to go to work every day. There has been a marked change in his countenance and the way he carries himself. He bought himself a phone and then came in last week having gotten his hair done. He was so proud. A few days later he came in with the news that he had quit his job. No!!!!  We were so sad. Not disappointed. Just sad. We take the journey with them. He told me that he was going to take off a few days and that I wouldn't see him for a while because he 'needed a break and to get his thoughts together'. (That is never a good sign.) I held his face in my hands and said, "Reggie, you know that isn't a good idea. the PARC is where you get your thoughts together. the PARC is the place you need to be right now." He left with the words, "We'll see." "Reggie, you better come back." And he did. I reminded him on Friday as we left that we had bingo on Monday and he should come for that  And he did, and he came again yesterday. Will he come back today? I don't know. I hope so, and we will be here to love and encourage him. We will be here to continue to believe in him. He did it once. He can do it again. At the PARC you never run out of chances.

Sometimes we get tired. Many times we get excited and hopeful. Mostly we just love them. I don't mean that to sound trite. We truly do. We are seeing more and more new faces every day. So, so many of them are getting jobs, getting their own homes, their own cars or reconciling with their families. Many of them will continue to move forward and to succeed.  Thomas came back last week in his own car to tell us how well he was doing and how much he loved his job. Some of them will fall back into this cycle that they have found themselves in. Whether they continue to take steps forward or if they fall and take some steps back, we will be here. We will continue to take the journey with them.

When our members come into the PARC they know they will find love and acceptance. They will find encouragement and people that believe in them more than they believe in themselves. What is success? It is hard to define, but I believe with all my heart that if they know that they are loved and valuable, that is success. It does not return void.