The Poor ask so little of us

Dear Friends of Harbor House,
This month, we lost two of our long-time clients. They have both lived here in Thousand Oaks for many years, and we are sad to say goodbye. We wish their families peace as they grieve for their loved ones, and once again, we are reminded how short life is. We are only on this Earth for a brief time, so we must take every opportunity we can to impact the lives of others we pass along the way.
The number of young men aging out of foster care and reaching out to us for case management, housing, mentors, food, and assistance in finding employment is growing every month. Staff at Harbor House and Pi House are grateful for every opportunity to touch a young person’s life, and even though not all of them qualify to live at Pi House, we are glad to walk alongside them.
This week, I was struck by the realization that the poor ask so little of us. I met a young man who wanted to get a job, but his clothes were caked with dirt, and he was so hot and sweaty. So, I offered him a shower, and he was delighted. I cannot imagine the joy of a shower following so many weeks of homelessness and dirt. We have a young man who is homeless due to mental health issues, but he got a job last month. Now he is hanging on each night, sleeping on the streets and waiting to save enough money to get housing. Despite his battles with mental health, this young man always gets a job and works extremely hard.
We have a number of teens living in Thousand Oaks who are calling on behalf of parents who cannot afford their rent. These highschoolers break my heart because they should have the privilege of worrying about their grades and schoolwork. Instead, they focus on worrying about when they will lose their housing again. So many of these students pray all day that their peers will never find out how they are living.
We would like to thank you all for your constant support of both Harbor House and Pi House as we continue to help those most in need in our community. Without your help, we would not be able to provide these young people with the resources they need in everyday life.
“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.”         — Mother Teresa
Denise Cortes, Executive Director, Harbor House
dcortes@harborhouseto.org