In 1946 a 22-year-old homeless Italian-American was sleeping on a bench. A policeman came by and hit him on the feet with a stick, called him an insulting ethnic name, and told him to move on. Desperate for warmth and shelter, he found refuge in a Catholic shelter, where...
Humanitarian workers see people at their most vulnerable. Our job is to help them get on their feet—but how much help is enough? When do you need to let go? I struggled with those questions several years ago as I worked to build a home and a new beginning...
I sat in the passenger seat of the church van while my husband filled the tank with gas. Behind me sat four of the girls in our youth group. I was excitedly reminding them to sign up for the next Girls’ All-Nighter when one of them said, “We aren’t...
I will never forget the night our 13-year-old son came into our bedroom and said, “I think I’m sick.” I immediately thought it was strange he would be telling us this with such seriousness. He continued, telling us that he snuck out to be at a campfire with some...
