“Everything is so difficult now,” Sean, who is a regular meal guest at our dining room decided to open up about his struggles. After the short sentence, he paused for a minute and stared at the unfinished food on his plate before he continued, “I’m trying to renew my ID, but that’s difficult too. Offices are closed because of the pandemic so everything must be done online.”
Surprisingly, his face immediately beamed up when he talked more about his struggles with computers and technology. “But it’s not so bad. I think this has helped me get better with my computer skills. I used to be really bad with computers you know. I bet you would laugh at me, but my phone is the first “smart” device that I have. That really shows you there’s always something positive in every negative thing.” Then he grabbed his smartphone and tried to show me the cool things that the “apps” on his phone could do. In his opinion, “apps” are truly one of the coolest technological inventions in the history. The entire time that we chatted, Sean could not hide his excitement to explore more cool “apps” now that he has a smartphone.
When asked about what brought him to Shepherd’s Table, Sean shared that he has been unemployed for a while and Shepherd’s Table has been a big help. “This place is really cool. I’m going through poverty and unemployment, but at least I know food is something that I don’t have to worry about because of this place,” Sean remarked. During the conversation, Sean also talked about his love for cooking, “I love cooking! Cooking really calms me down. It keeps me calm, and that’s important during this time.” He also stated that one day, when he is a position to give back, he would love to help our chefs out in the kitchen as well, “I can be a great help. I am really good at cooking!” Sean said with a huge smile on his face.
With the pandemic going, Sean tried to focus on the positive things to keep his spirit up. “I know I just have to hold on to my job skills. I have those skills you know, so I know I will get a job soon,” Sean said. There was a look of confidence and determination on his face. “I failed myself before. Now I have to try to get back to where I used to be. When I get nervous, I find a place to pray. I know God is watching over me,” Sean said. Couple of times during the evening, Sean was seen sitting in the corner and reading his Bible. He would sometimes look up to greet other meal guests when he saw them entered the dining room.
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